Drug, alcohol arrests are up

The number of liquor law and drug infractions on campus jumped between the years 2007 to 2008, according to the annual Security Report released Thursday by the UNC Department of Public Safety.

But these statistics are not indicative of larger trends in campus crime, said Randy Young, spokesman for the Department of Public Safety.

“The report could be misleading in certain areas,” Young said.

The report made available crime statistics for the campus, Chapel Hill and Carrboro communities from 2006 to 2008. It also includes descriptions of campus crime-fighting programs as well as campus policies regarding law enforcement.

“This report allows people to partner with us in enhancing the level of security on campus,” Young said.

Among rates that rose significantly in 2008 were those of liquor law disciplinary references on campus, which jumped from 202 in 2007 to 294 last year.

The report also found that:

Arrests for liquor law violations in residence halls rose from 17 in 2007 to 40 in 2008.

Drug-related arrests on campus rose from 20 to 34 in that time frame.

Forcible sexual offenses on campus decreased to four in 2008 from seven in 2007.

Burglary on campus fell from 12 in 2007 to five in 2008.

Young said the methods of data collection used in making the report prevent it from being an accurate reflection of broader trends in crime or police enforcement.

“We have not stepped up or diminished our enforcement of alcohol consumption on campus,” he added.

Associate University Counsel Mary Sechrist, who compiled the statistics for the 2009 report, said the numbers are not perfect indicators of reality because police classifications of crime types can be inconsistent.

“It’s a little difficult for the Chapel Hill police to come up with those statistics,” Sechrist said. “There’s always a certain amount of judgment in how you count it.”

Young said the Department of Public Safety is encouraged by the fact that major crimes mentioned in the report such as murder, motor vehicle theft and burglary all fell or remained low.

However, he added that members of the University community should note that statistics regarding the most prevalent crime on campus — larceny — are not included in the report.

Sechrist said this is due to the fact that larceny is not required to be included in the yearly report of campus and community crime statistics, according to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act.

The Clery Act requires colleges and universities to produce an annual report that presents three years of crime statistics as well as a summary of campus policies on crime.

The 2009 Security Report can be viewed in full at www.dps.unc.edu/securityreport.


Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.