Campus buildings and their parking lots were the setting formost crimes reported last year at colleges and universities inTennessee, according to a recent campus crime report.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation released its 2003 CampusCrime Report April 2. The 175-page document lists offenses reportedby college and university police and security forces on Tennesseecollege campuses in 2003.
"Parking lots and simple thefts on campus continue to be ourbiggest problem," said University of Memphis Police Servicesdirector Bruce Harber. "We are refocusing officers into the parkinglots, and we've started putting in cameras to deter and monitorcriminal activity there."
Police Services recently installed two surveillance cameras inthe South Lot and one in the Central Lot.
"We hope to expand this in the next year," said Harber."Advances in technology allow us to install cameras at minimalcost."
Theft remains the biggest problem at The U of M. But otherstatistics reflect improvements in campus safety.
"Looking at what the TBI classifies as violent crimes, we had noaggravated assaults at The U of M in 2003," Harber said.
However, Police Services reported two forcible rapes, 4robberies, 44 simple assaults and 21 reports of intimidation in2003.
Of the 226 reported larceny offenses at The U of M in 2003, 133involved theft from buildings, and 65 others involved either theftfrom vehicles or theft of vehicle parts or accessories. The TBIpublication also reports 32 motor vehicle thefts at The U of M in2003.
"Larceny is still the most common crime across the state andhere on campus," Harber said.
Larceny accounted for an average of 41.4 percent of all offensesreported on Tennessee campuses in 2003.
The U of M was above the state average, with 47.8 percent ofcrimes falling under the TBI umbrella of larceny/theftoffenses.
Harber, who has been at The U of M for four years since retiringfrom the Memphis Police Department, compares The U of M's numbersto those of 11 other schools in the state.
"These are all universities in Tennessee with campus populationsof at least 5,000 and their own police forces," Harber said.
Of the schools Harber uses in his analysis, six are TennesseeBoard of Regents institutions -- Austin Peay State University, EastTennessee State University, Tennessee Tech University, MiddleTennessee State University and Tennessee State University, as wellas Vanderbilt University and University of Tennessee campuses inKnoxville, Memphis, Chattanooga and Martin.
According to Harber's statistical analysis, The U of M campushad the lowest number of reported offenses per 1,000 peoplemeasured in campus population.
The TBI report measures campus population as a total ofundergraduate and graduate enrollment, staff members, faculty andsecurity personnel.
TBI also warns schools about trying to compare numbers and rankschools included in its annual report.
"Campus population, security force size and other variables cancreate misleading perceptions," said Beth Denton, TBI informationofficer. "You also have to take into consideration the rural andurban location of each campus."
The Federal Bureau of Investigation also has a long-standingpolicy of not comparing data, Denton said.
"Each campus police force has to look at what's going on in itsown setting," said Harber. "Campus size, location and design areall factors that affect crime.
The U of M has a ratio of one-and-a-half police officers per1,000 members of campus population."
"Looking at the report, it seems that we're being efficient withour resources," Harber said.
A copy of the 2003 Campus Crime Report is available at:
http://www.tbi.state.tn.us/CrimeTN/Crime%20on%20Campus_2003_complete.pdf
