On-campus burglaries increased sharply last year, rising from 16 in 2005 to 58 in 2006, according to the 2006 crime statistics recently released by the Department of Public Safety. Of the 58 burglaries, 46 were in residence halls. While 2006 saw a dip in larcenies reported to DPS, there was a spike in burglaries in on-campus residential buildings, according to Chief of Police and Director of Public Safety Mark Porter.
"There is a huge amount of evidence that suggests crime is happening inside the residence halls," Porter said. Because of this, Porter said he would like to see a security presence in the first floor lobbies of residence halls and areas immediately outside.
"That's something I'll always put on the table," he said. "It keeps our residence halls protected, and it adds an additional layer of protection."
Currently, "officers do not generally patrol the residence halls (but) are dedicated to foot and car patrols," Porter said, explaining that he believes crime outside the residence halls has dropped due to increased police presence on campus. Because of that development, Porter said, "another level of security presence inside the lobby of the residential halls" is worth considering.
"We've seen a significant increase in the amount of larcenies that take place in unlocked and unattended rooms," Porter said, adding that he believes burglaries are going up on college campuses nationwide. Porter attributed the crime spike at Brown to unlocked and unattended rooms in which students leave their electronics and other belongings as prey for burglars. "Every year students come with more equipment. As technology increases, they bring more," he said.
Margaret Klawunn, associate vice president for campus life and dean of student life, seconded Porter's emphasis that students lock their rooms when they step outside for even a minute or two.
"The message is: Lock your doors," she said in response to this year's increase.
Klawunn also warned students about leaving property unattended in public spaces, a message DPS has recently sought to communicate through signs and e-mails to students. "People are also leaving items in public spaces. They'll set a laptop down in the library and leave it alone for a few minutes, and it gets taken," Klawunn said.
The crime statistics are gathered by DPS from its own records in addition to statistics submitted by the Office of Student Life, Emergency Medical Services, the Department of Athletics, the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action, the Office of Institutional Diversity and the Providence Police.
The statistics showed no DPS arrests for liquor, drug or weapons violations. For a number of years, DPS has not handled such arrests itself but rather has notified the Providence Police Department, whose officers then takes the person into custody. In 2006, DPS assisted PPD with 15 arrests, according to Porter.
DPS is required to release the 2006 crime statistics to comply with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, named after a young woman who was raped and murdered in her Lehigh University dorm room. The new statistics, released on Sept. 26, also show a rise in robbery - stealing from an individual person, often by force - of three incidents on campus in 2006, up from only one in 2005. The statistics also show 16 robberies off-campus, compared to 11 in 2005.
Over the past year, DPS has implemented several crime prevention and community policing initiatives in an effort to address the rising crime pattern. These have included more uniformed DPS officers and security on foot patrol, as well as more marked DPS cruiser patrols on each shift. The department also introduced a new crime analysis unit to monitor crime patterns and notify the community of unusual trends. Porter said DPS crime prevention teams now visit first-year residence halls for a 90-minute safety awareness talk.
Lt. Paul Campbell, the District 9 commander for PPD whose district includes all of Brown's campus, said crime in District 9 decreased in 2006 from 2005 and looks likely to decrease again in 2007 from 2006.
Violent crime in District 9, including robbery, is down 50 percent, Campbell said, adding that at this time last year, there were 34 violent crimes, but only 17 so far in 2007. Robberies involving firearms are down 75 percent, with only one occurring this year, while four had been reported by this time last year. Other robberies are also down 47 percent. Simple assaults are down 26 percent.
But non-violent crime, including larceny, burglary and theft are on the rise, from 634 by this time last year to 658 so far in 2007. This is largely due to larcenies from motor vehicles, which are up 24.4 percent, while burglaries and motor vehicle thefts have gone down since last year by 4.4 percent and 20.3 percent, respectively.
This year, Campbell said PPD have made more drug arrests and recovered more weapons in District 9 as compared to this point last year. However, none of the weapons have been firearms and most have been knives, Campbell said.
Campbell attributes the rise in larcenies from motor vehicles to the greater frequency of GPS systems in automobiles.
