Penn State Releases 2012 Security Report, Crime Statistics

As mandated by the Clery Act, Penn State released its annual safety report and crime statistics on Wednesday, titled ‘Policies, Safety & U,’ which puts a number on crimes reported to University Police and outlines reporting practices. 

The 32-page report opens with statements from Penn State President Rodney Erickson and Penn State’s Assistant Vice President for Police and Public Safety, Steve Shelow. 

Shelow said the report is published to comply with the provisions in the Clery Act and for the safety, security and awareness of the campus community. 

‘It is up to each one of us to help foster a secure and supportive environment at Penn State — an environment where individuals can feel safe to visit, learn, work, and live. Primary to this goal are the principles of responsibility and respect. These values are essential to any community, and serve as the foundation for the success and productivity of our students, faculty, and staff,’ Erickson wrote in his statement.

‘Safety on campus is one of the highest concerns. A truly safe campus can only be achieved through the cooperation of everyone. This publication contains information about campus safety measures and reports statistics about crime in our University community.

‘It also describes our efforts to combat alcohol and drug abuse. Please take the time to read it and help foster a more caring and safe environment.’

A page dedicated to reporting crimes offers options for going directly to the Penn State Police or choosing to report a crime confidentially and anonymously. 

Penn State offers extensive information on emergency operating procedures on campus and addresses how the university handles all crimes, from defining sexual assault and hate crimes to providing resources for students as well as what rights they have as a victim. 

Alcohol and drug use and the university’s handling of such issues, as well as a chart of drug risks and their consequences spans five pages of the report. 

On page 24 of the report, Penn State crunches the numbers. The numbers are a reflection only of those crimes reported to police, not all that occurred on campus. 

• Forcible sex offenses reported on campus totaled eight in 2009, four in 2010 and 24 in 2011. There were six assaults reported off campus to university police in 2011. Police note that 11 sex offenses occurred in previous years but were not reported until 2011, which is reflected in the numbers. 

• There were six aggravated assaults reported on campus in 2009, three in 2010 and six again in 2011. 

•  On campus burglaries reported reached 48 in 2009, 58 in 2010 and 112 in 2001. 

• Arrests made for drugs on campus reached 177 in 2009, 225 in 2010 and 339 in 2011.

• Arrests made in connection with alcohol totaled 761 in 2009, 742 in 2010 and 805 in 2011.

More information on the Clery Act, courtesy of Penn State, can be found here.