Overall crime on Northwestern campuses is down, according to a University Police report — but not without a spike in liquor-law violations and violent crime.
According to the annual report released over the weekend, UP issued 162 liquor-law citations in Evanston in 2002 — more than triple the 52 citations issued in 2001.
And the Evanston and Chicago campuses saw increases in robbery, theft, assault and sex offenses — despite reports that overall crime was down in both locations.
Even with the increase in these two areas, Assistant Chief of Police Daniel McAleer said UP is pleased with the overall decrease in crime for 2002.
“Whether crime is up or down, we don’t take credit,” he said. “We work with the community every day to keep it safe.”
Most of the alcohol-related tickets were given in off-campus areas of Evanston, McAleer said. For the past two years, police have paid more attention to liquor-law violations and have teamed up with the Evanston Police Department for big events, such as Dillo Day.
McAleer said the jump in liquor-law citations is a response to complaints UP received from Evanston residents.
“Residents are not tolerant of some behaviors that occur,” McAleer said. “A lot said, ‘I have lived next to students for years, but I am not getting the same cooperation or respect.'”
Liquor-law citations are given for offenses such as carrying an open container of alcohol in public. People under 21 receive an additional citation for being underage.
Despite increases in alcohol-related arrests and citations, McAleer said UP’s main concern is still student safety — a type of crime that also saw a substantial jump this year.
Crimes against people rose about 67 percent on the Evanston Campus to 40 incidents. To combat this McAleer said UP has regular patrols to protect students.
“Hopefully we can make people feel safe,” he said, “so safety is not the first matter on their minds when they wake up in the morning.”
Colleges and universities are required by the Clery Act of 1990 to release statistics about crimes that occur on and around campus.
Though he was pleased with the improvements, McAleer said police aren’t bent on simply decreasing numbers on a report.
