The annual crime report shows an increase in alcohol violations, officials say.
OCU Police Chief Jennifer Rodgers released the annual 2018 Security and Fire Report in an Oct. 1 email to the campus community. The report is required by The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, a consumer protection law passed in 1990 that requires all universities that receive federal funding to share information about crime on campus through an annual security report, according to clerycenter.org.
The report shows statistics for 2015, 2016 and 2017.
For the past three years, statistics are included for certain types of crimes that were reported to have occurred on campus, at off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by the school and on public property within or immediately adjacent to the campus,” Rodgers’s email reads.
Across the board, most of the statistics decreased or stayed the same, except for liquor law violation referrals. The number of referrals was six in 2016 and rose to 25 in 2017. Forcible sex offenses rose from two to three, burglary decreased from seven to four, motor vehicle theft dropped from three to zero, stalking dropped from one to zero, and drug law violation referrals dropped from 14 to 10. Robbery is defined as something being stolen off of one’s person. Burglary is defined as someone stealing something from their place of dwelling.
A campus liquor law violation referral is defined as a student being found intoxicated or in possession of intoxicants by campus police, Rodgers said.
Rodgers said she doesn’t think more students were drinking in 2017, but that more were caught by police officers.
“During 2017, there were two officers working night shift that were very young officers, very energetic, very self-motivated, and they were into everything,” she said. “I think that probably made a difference—that they were available, they reported correctly when it happened.”
Neither officer works for campus police anymore, Rodgers said.
“I have new guys now, and they are just as dynamic as the ones that were here,” she said.
Rusty Pyle was hired to be the assistant police chief, and started work Monday. He began in the lieutenant position and will attend chiefs training school at the end of the month, then transition into assistant, Rodgers said.
“He’s going to be my right-hand man,” Rodgers said. “I’m excited, because I work 60-hour weeks right now and having him will allow me to delegate more. He’s going to fill a void that’s been there for a few months.”
Adan Viloria is entering the field-training program with campus police after serving six months as a dispatcher. Viloria graduated from the police academy Oct. 5 after requesting he be sent to train as an officer.
Viloria signed a two-year contract with OCUPD. As part of the field-training program, he will shadow a senior officer.
“He will have someone with him until he’s ready to go on his own,” Rodgers said. “He loves police work. He loves riding with officers.
“I’m really proud of him, because he’s kind of home-grown.”
Olivia Sargent, music theater freshman, said having more officers on campus makes her feel safer.
“I think it’s great, especially with how the world is now,” she said. “It’s good to have more officers that can deal with things and have more people to call.”
When it comes to alcohol on campus, Rodgers advised students not to bring alcohol on campus or get into vehicles with alcohol in them.
“Students are getting themselves into awkward positions where they’re in vehicles with other students that have alcohol in them,” she said. “If you know alcohol is in that vehicle, don’t get in it or stay in it.”
Many of the referrals were related to students being in possession of liquor in their rooms, and most of them occurred in United Methodist Hall, Rodgers said.
The university prohibits the use, possession or sale of alcoholic beverages, including under-age drinking, on university-owned or controlled property. Any student that violates this policy is subject to university discipline, including suspension or expulsion, cccording to the Security and Fire Report
Campus police are not permitted to conduct random room checks, but Resident Assistants have the right to do so and report to campus police.
“We treat the rooms like we would any citizen,” she said. “We have no legal authority to walk into anybody’s dorm room. The RA has complete opportunity to go in and search any of the rooms, but we do not.”
Visit OCUPD for the full security report.
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