Incidents of the most serious crimes at the UC Davis campus and the medical center have decreased by 4 percent from 1999, as measured by the FBI Crime Index in an annual report of crimes at UC campuses released recently.
In 2000, the number of the most serious violent crimes – homicide, rape, attempted rape, robbery and aggravated assault – increased by three. Three robberies were reported and five aggravated assaults occurred last year. Burglary decreased by 16 percent.
Incidents of 20 other offenses – from simple assault to trespass and public drunkenness – decreased by 16 percent, from 484 in 1999 to 405 in 2000.
The vast majority of those arrested in all incidents had no affiliation to UC Davis.
"In our efforts to create a safe environment we provide for the university community a comprehensive awareness program aimed at preventing crime," said Calvin Handy, chief of the UC Davis Police Department. "This includes providing professional public services and working in cooperation and collaboration with our communities."
Crimes at the campus and medical center reported to police are counted according to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program, used by law enforcement agencies throughout the state. The FBI Crime Index tallies incidents of the eight most serious violent crimes and property crimes.
Violent crimes rank low
According to the FBI reporting program, violent crime represented less than 1 percent of all crimes reported at UC Davis. The eight incidents of violent crime included three robberies and five aggravated assaults:
• Two attempted robberies occurred on campus; no weapons were used and no property was taken.
• The third robbery attempt was at the medical center where a suspect was thought to have a weapon, possibly a handgun. When the suspect asked for money from a cash box, the victim told the suspect he would need to get a key. The victim walked away from the suspect and told authorities of the robbery attempt. The suspect fled.
Four of the five aggravated assaults occurred on campus and one at the UC Davis Medical Center:
• One of the campus assaults in which a knife was used on the victim occurred in a resident housing area. The victim sustained injuries to the upper body, and the suspect was arrested.
• In the second assault on campus, also in a resident housing area, the suspect used his fists and feet to strike the victim in the head repeatedly. The suspect was arrested.
• The third assault happened on university property. Three suspects were armed with a stun gun, a wrench and a knife. None of the victims was injured; however, one person was shocked with a stun gun. No arrests were made.
• Fists were used in the fourth assault on campus, which occurred in a residential housing area. The victim required stitches near the left eye. The suspect was arrested.
• In the assault at the medical center, a victim was beaten by a suspect using his fists. The suspect was arrested.
As in 1999, there were no homicides in 2000.
Value of stolen property climbs
• Burglary: Burglary decreased by 16 percent, from 70 reports in 1999 to 59 this past year. In the majority of the burglaries, there was no evidence of forced entry.
• Motor vehicle theft: The number of motor vehicle thefts increased from 32 to 37.
• Larceny: Bicycle theft decreased by 4 percent, from 262 incidents in 1999 to 252 in 2000; the drop contributes to a 73 percent decrease in bicycle theft since 1994. Other thefts decreased by 6 percent, from 428 to 404 in 2000. Stereos, CDs and cellular phones were the most commonly taken items.
The value of property stolen increased by 34 percent, from $435,811 in 1999 to $570,288 in 2000. Of the $186,688 in university property stolen in 2000, police recovered just over 1 percent. Of the $383,600 in other property stolen in 2000, police recovered more than 32 percent.
• Arson: In the nine arsons in 2000, approximately $450 in property loss was reported. A juvenile suspect was arrested for one incident. An adult suspect was identified in two of the other cases.
DUI and attacks on officers
Arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs decreased from 40 to 23.
Three police officers were assaulted, one of whom was injured in separate incident at the medical center.
University affiliation nominal
For all criminal offenses committed during 2000, UC Davis police officers arrested 155 people. Of the 20 arrested for the eight most serious violent and property crimes, seven were affiliated with the main campus or medical center as a student or employee. Of the 135 arrested for other offenses, only 10 were affiliated with the university.
Programs increase capabilities
Other highlights of the police department’s activities in 2000 include the following:
• Campus Violence Protection Program: This unit provides education and outreach about the realities of sexual violence, hate or bias related activity and relationship violence focusing on prevention through education. The program’s primary mission is to eliminate these forms of violence and in the interim, to ensure support services are available for survivors. This specialized police department unit provides workshops, classes and coounseling.
• Bicycle Patrol: The police department received a grant from the Yolo County Air Quality Management District to equip officers for a bicycle patrol unit. More than 34,000 vehicle miles will be saved by getting officers out of patrol cars and onto bicycles.
• Video Unit: In 2000, this unit produced a 17-minute safety and security video for the campus community. The production was created in response to the research community’s concerns about environmental and animal activism.
• Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force: In 2000 the UC Davis Police Departrment entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force, which is managed by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. More than 22 state, federal and local agencies participate. A UC Davis detective dedicated 20 percent of work time to training and investigations of various aspects of computer crime.
• Administration Division: The department continues to improve efficiency and increase communication among various units within the department. Most needed was the creation of the Outreach Bureau to coordinate efforts of the Crime Prevention, Campus Violence Prevention, Training and Video units with all other outreach programs.
• Criminal Investigations Unit: As part of the department’s continuing participation in the federal "Violence Against Women" grant, the department provides a detective who dedicates 75 percent of her time to investigate violent crimes committed against women.
For a copy of the online report, see police.ucdavis.edu.