Instances of crime on campus dropped 60 percent over the four weeks of winter break compared to the last four weeks of the fall semester, said Paul Shanley, deputy chief of police for the Department of Public Safety.
The reduction resulted from two factors — cold weather and the absence of most students — both of which typically result in a decrease in crime, Shanley said.
The decrease held true across all types of crime, and the Providence police department saw a similar trend in their own numbers in the College Hill area, Shanley said. With the exception of “the few car break-ins,” city police did not contact DPS about any crime problems, Shanley added.
With the campus buildings and dorms vacated, break-ins and theft became the leading cause of concern for DPS.
No dorms were broken into and most campus buildings remained untouched, but one notable break-in occurred Jan. 17 at Brown Stadium, where copper pipes valued at nearly $3,000 were stolen from the boiler room, Shanley said.
The Office of Residential Life worked with DPS to protect the dorms from intrusion over winter break, said Tom Forsberg, associate director of housing and residential life.
Forsberg said their main efforts included ensuring entrances remained locked and denying key card access to dorms. ResLife communicated with DPS to allow access to dorms at certain times for students who arrived on campus early for activities such as winter sports, he said.
DPS maintains its patrols year-round, Shanley said. “We continue with the same staffing plans in place even though the students aren’t here,” he said.
Students both on and away from campus said they trusted the University’s security efforts over break.
Delaney Brow ’16, who spent two weeks of break on campus with the gymnastics team, said she would occasionally see DPS officers and felt safe walking on campus between the Wendell R. Erickson Athletic Complex, dorms and the dining hall.
Several students who spent their breaks off campus said they felt safe leaving their belongings in the dorms, but most added that they did not leave their most valuable items behind.
This month’s drop in crime follows a high crime rate over the last year, Shanley said, adding that the decrease is a good sign heading into the new semester.
“As more students come back, we want to make sure we keep our public and community fields safe,” he said. “We’ll be looking to deter any new crime patterns that may begin.”
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