Crimes reported in calendar year 2005 on property owned or controlled by UC Davis decreased in four of six key categories — burglary, aggravated assaults, motor vehicle theft and arson, according to statistics prepared in compliance with the Clery Act.

However, the number of total reported sex offenses (forcible and non-forcible) increased from 33 in 2004 to 50 in 2005.

The number of drug arrests was unchanged, while disciplinary actions for alcohol and drugs decreased. However, weapon arrests increased by 40 percent from 10 in 2004 to 14 in 2005. The main increase in arrests occurred at the UC Davis Medical Center, with four in 2004 and 10 in 2005.

The number of reported aggravated assaults decreased 64 percent, from 33 in 2004 to 12 in 2005. Aggravated assaults decreased significantly in the main campus student residences, from 11 in 2004 to three in 2005 — a 73 percent reduction.

Patrol, education efforts

Extra patrol and education efforts are credited for the decrease in aggravated assaults, the increase in weapon arrests and the 26 percent decrease in burglaries, according to the UC Davis Police Department which patrols both the main campus in Davis and the medical center in Sacramento.

"As I review our Clery statistics, it is apparent to me how well we serve our community in both patrol and education," said Police Chief Annette Spicuzza. "We have many areas that have decreased and a few that have gone up. However, the overall number of reported violent crimes has gone down. The increase in our reported sexual offenses tells me that the education of our community on the programs that we offer is working to assist those in need. We also continue to build confidence among our community members in understanding that we are here for them an will assist at any time."

Approximately three-quarters of the sex offenses in 2005 were reported to the UC Davis Police Department's Campus Violence Prevention Program (CVPP). According to CVPP Director Jennifer Beeman, using campus resources as well as grant funding from the federal Office on Violence Against Women, the campus continues to use innovative, cutting-edge approaches to support education, training and outreach to raise awareness and reduce the incidence of all forms of violence against women at UC Davis.

"Increased awareness does lead to an increase in reporting. However, this increased reporting is not evidence of an increasing occurrence of violence," said Beeman. "Rather, it is a direct result of a growing belief on the part of students that, if they report an incident, they will be helped, rather than suffer humiliation."

Beeman also said that a lower reporting rate would not necessarily mean less crime.

"In fact, higher numbers reflect that the system is working, and that students trust our institution's policies and procedures enough to come forward."

The number of alcohol-related disciplinary cases decreased from 282 in 2004 to 180 in 2005. Almost all of the disciplinary actions resulted from incidents occurring in the main campus residence halls. UC Davis has strict policies on alcohol use in student housing. For example, students are cited for letting others drink in their room, even though they may not be drinking themselves.

In 2005, UC Davis instituted the Safe Party Initiative, a collaborative effort between the city of Davis and the campus to help reduce alcohol-related problems both on and off campus. This initiative, which strives to increase student participation in all aspects of improved alcohol safety efforts, was implemented in cooperation with the Prevention Research Center in Berkeley, with funding from the National Institutes on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

The safe party project targets high-risk drinking, especially at off-campus parties, to prevent alcohol-related violence and property damage both on campus and in the local community. The project supports alcohol-free events, provides "safe host" and "party safety" guidance, and promotes increased visibility for police enforcement of alcohol-related laws.

Last fall, under the Safe Party Initiative, the campus launched a Safe Party Web site, http://SafeParty.ucdavis.edu,an alcohol and party safety education resource offering peer advice for successful alcohol-free celebrations along with party tips for low-risk alcohol use.

New for this fall, campus police, the student health education and promotion program, and the Associated Students of UC Davis will work in collaboration with the city of Davis, city neighborhood associations and local property managers to sponsor neighborhood community-building events including a Davis Neighbors' Night Out. The community-building outreach efforts are designed to improve students' and neighbors' safety expectations of off-campus party events and set a standard for responsible and legal alcohol use.

The Clery report also showed a drop in drug disciplinary actions — from 36 in 2004 to 31 in 2005 — and weapon disciplinary actions also dropped by one from two in 2004.

Prepared in accordance with the federal Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the 2005 report includes six categories of crimes against persons (non-negligent manslaughter, negligent manslaughter, forcible sex offenses, non-forcible sex offenses, robbery and aggravated assault) and three against property (arson, burglary and motor vehicle thefts).

For example, the number of reported forcible sex offenses on university-affiliated property increased from 32 in 2004 to 48 in 2005. Eight of these were rapes, two involved oral copulation, and 38 were classified as sexual battery — primarily forcible fondling. In addition there were two non-forcible sex offenses in 2005, up one from the previous year. The majority of sex offenses occurred in student residences.

The Clery Act requires colleges and universities to report statements of security policy and statistics for the specified crimes reported for defined locations on and adjacent to their campuses, their off-campus properties, and the properties of registered student organizations. Universities and colleges report the information to the U.S. Department of Education and must also make the information and annual statistics available to current and prospective students and employees each fall.

Clery Act data for calendar year 2005 is available at the UC Davis Police Department's Web site: http://police.ucdavis.edu/clery/index.htm.