The 2011 Campus Safety and Security Report & Fire Safety Report holds information members of the campus community should know.
UCCS Police Operations recently issued the annual overview of criminal activity on campus as well as procedures to follow for campus closure, reporting a missing person, and if shots are fired on campus.
A Sept. 29 email explained the report is issued annually and made available to students and university employees in compliance to U.S. Department of Education regulations. The report contains a summary of campus crime statistics, campus safety and crime prevention programs, and safety information. The fire safety section has information about university housing fire notifications, drills and evacuation procedures, fire statistics, alarm systems and fire education and training.
“The email announcement contained a lot of legal wording about why we have to issue a report and tell everyone on campus the report is available,” Jim Spice, executive director, Department of Public Safety, said. “I don’t think anyone’s really interested in the legal acts and statutes that are cited but I hope everyone will look at the report. It’s always good to keep on top of university procedures in emergency situations. Things like campus closure policies and safety practices are good to know.”
The report compares campus crimes in 2010 to previous years and shows an increase in campus assaults, sex offenses, thefts and other crimes.
“The increase in student enrollment and full housing units are good things, but an increase in any population brings an increase in incidents,” Spice said.
A single forcible sex offense was reported last year while none were reported the year before. Only one aggravated assault was reported in 2010, the same as the year before. Burglary incidents decreased considerably, and no automobile thefts occurred, compared to one the year before. Other thefts increased.
“Thefts on campus continue to be an issue, and while the numbers of thefts have gone down each year in recent years, there was something of an increase in 2010,” he said. “Most of these thefts have been crimes of opportunity, happening because individuals are being careless or just not paying attention. People are leaving their car, office, and dormitory doors open or unlocked, and leaving laptops, backpacks or purses unattended. This type of behavior makes an easy target for would-be thieves.
“We’ve been trying to get word out across campus for individuals to be really aware of where their valuables are at all times, and to keep them locked and secure. People have to take an individual responsibility for their property wherever they are.”
Spice acknowledged that drug and alcohol use is an issue at UCCS, just as it is on most college campuses.
“Illegal possession and usage of drugs and alcohol while on campus continue to be a problem, especially in UCCS housing,” he said.
The university emphasizes awareness over arrests and first-time offenders usually wind up in drug and alcohol educational program classes.
Three of the document’s 30 pages are dedicated to the fire safety report which covers university housing. On-campus housing fire statistics show an unintentional electrical fire took place in Alpine Village in 2010 causing an estimated $500 in damages. The last fire that threatened campus housing was in 2007.
The 2011 report may be found online at: http://www.uccs.edu/~pusafety/2011Safety/. Previous reports are available at http://www.uccs.edu/~pusafety/police/safety/
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