Campus crime statistics subject to interpretation

The 2007 Uniform Crime Report statistics for colleges and universities were released by the FBI Sept. 15, but include data different from statistics released by VCU.

According to the FBI, VCU ranks 19th in regard to overall crime, with 580 total crimes in 2007. When ranked by violent crime, VCU tied for fifth place with Arizona State University’s main campus. Both universities are reported as having 34 violent crimes in 2007.

The FBI defines violent crimes as murder or non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, aggravated assault or robbery. While no murders or incidents involving rape occurred in 2007 at VCU, 17 of the violent crimes reported were aggravated assault and 17 were robberies. The remaining 546 crimes in the report are property crimes.

Business major Aaron Post says he doesn’t find the violent crime data for the university surprising.

“It seems accurate based off of my nights coming home from school. I’d see at least two or three police vehicles on campus with the lights on and constantly hear sirens,” Post said.

This past week, VCU also released its annual Campus Safety Report and campus crime data, which is required by law under the Clery Act. The reports detailed campus and off-campus crimes in 2007, but numbers in both reports are different from statistics released by the FBI.

Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration John Bennett says he has asked VCU Police to look at the data differences and access it.

“(The crime rates) are significantly different than what the rates were the last time we analyzed them,” Bennett stated in an e-mail.

By comparison, the FBI report listed 17 robberies on VCU’s campus in 2007, while the crime and safety report released by VCU Police lists a total of two on-campus robberies between both the Monroe Park and MCV campuses.

In other instances, numbers released by the university are higher than those published by the FBI. VCU’s crime and safety report lists 134 instances of burglary between both campuses, while the FBI report lists only 18 burglary-related crimes.

Rebecca Duffy, a biomedical engineering major, says the data released by the FBI doesn’t change her views on campus safety.

“Since I’m from the Richmond area, I was pretty aware of Richmond’s reputation,” Duffy said. “Generally when I’m on campus, I always feel safe. And once I get to the parts where VCU blends with the city, I know I have to pay attention to what is going on around me, especially at night.”

Bennett distributed an e-mail to students and staff Oct. 1 informing the campus community of the release of the VCU data. He stated safety and security are VCU’s top priorities and personal awareness and vigilance are the two most important tools in keeping safe.

While the rankings deal with raw data figures, the FBI does warn about making judgments on crime in a particular area.

“Geographic and demographic factors specific to each jurisdiction must be considered and applied if one is going to make an accurate and complete assessment of crime in that jurisdiction,” the FBI Web site states.

The FBI’s Uniform Crime Report is available online at http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2007/. VCU’s Campus Safety Report is online at http://www.vcu.edu/police/campussafetyreport2008.pdf and data released under the Clery Act can be found at http://www.vcu.edu/police/CleryHome.html.