Crime Creeping Higher on Campuses
Hate crimes are down, but federal reports may not be the best indicator.
By Charles Dervarics
On-campus arrests for alcohol violations are up significantly nationwide, but hate crimes — including those predicated on race — are declining, according to new data from the U.S. Department of Education.
The number of students arrested for alcohol offenses on campus increased by 10 percent from 2003 to 2004, rising to more than 34,000, federal reports show. Colleges must report this data annually under the Clery Act, a federal law that requires crime reporting in specific categories.
Less-serious alcohol citations — incidents that fall short of arrest — also have increased steadily since 2002. Colleges reported 176,929 such violations in 2004, up 12,000 from the previous year and an increase of 28,000 since 2002, the department reports show.
Under the Clery Act, colleges have the flexibility to report lesser alcohol offenses in a separate category. In most cases, such citations are issued by campus security officers or other officials, and the citations usually bring internal disciplinary action within the college or university.
Safety advocates say the increases likely reflect increased enforcement by higher education institutions rather than a worsening of campus alcohol problems.
