When a Bradley University Police Department Safety Alert is sent to students, the issue of campus safety surfaces quickly thereafter.
But are student perceptions of Bradley crime legitimate or fueled by rumor?
Bradley, along with all other universities, publishes an annual campus safety report, as mandated by the Clery Act, which analyzes on-campus, off-campus and non-campus properties. The act provides a basis for safety comparisons among universities.
Bradley is distinctive in the sense that there are few universities in the United States with nearly 5,000 undergraduate students in a city of 115,000 people.
By examining four-year, private universities of medium size in the Midwest, feasible comparisons lie with schools such as Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, Dayton University in Dayton, Ohio and Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Of these four universities, Bradley’s 2012 burglary statistics were the highest by one. Dayton, located in a city with a similar population, reported 21 burglaries to Bradley’s 22.
BUPD Chief Brian Joschko said the Clery Act statistics may be misconstrued when assessed out of context, and numbers rarely tell the whole story.
“We investigate a considerable amount of what would be most likely pranks,” Joschko said. “We take them all seriously, as they are crimes, but you cannot walk into someone else’s house, even if it is a fraternity house, and take anything off of the wall. Things like that are typically going to be one fraternity’s prank on another fraternity, but it still counts as a burglary and goes on our official statistics.”
A burglary is defined as unlawful entry of a structure to commit felony or theft.
Joschko said uninformed student perceptions can fuel rumors that make crime on Bradley’s campus seem like a bigger issue than it is, and crimes of opportunity reported in the same fashion as a violent burglary pose such issues.
“[Burglary] numbers [like fraternity pranks] are counted as the same thing as somebody viciously kicking in a door and ransacking a house,” Joschko said. “We don’t typically see that. Those types of violent forced entry are very few and very far between.”
Bradley reported 22 burglaries in 2012, a slight decrease from the 23 burglaries reported in both 2010 and in 2011.
“Although the robberies and burglaries are trending downward…the decreases are not significant,” Joschko said. “Nonetheless, we are seeing decreases in these types of crimes, and we attribute the decrease in burglaries to the installation of card access systems on campus and the deployment of other types of security technology such as cameras and even blue light emergency poles.”
Although burglaries reported in 2012 totaled 36, only six of these were forced entry. The remaining 30 reports are what Joschko deems “crimes of opportunity” such as thefts from unlocked car doors, open residential windows and items left out in public locations.
Junior and Williams Hall resident Danielle Stortz said she finds that crime on Bradley’s campus is no different than other universities of similar status.
“I don’t feel that Bradley or the surrounding areas are necessarily dangerous,” Stortz said. “I feel that, like anywhere, you just have to be more careful after dark when you can’t see as far and as well.”
Joschko said he urges students to utilize the resources provided by the BUPD to help them feel safe regardless of location or time of day. Senior and Main Street Commons resident Atlee Sprague said she is a firm believer in those resources.
“Living off campus has made me realize the importance of safety,” Sprague said. “I constantly take the [Hilltop Safety Cruiser] in order to stay safe.”
While both on-campus robberies and burglaries have seen decreases between 2010 and 2012, the number of forcible sex offenses rose from four in 2010 to six in 2012. Joschko, however, said this is not an an indication of increased sexual assault activity on campus.
“I want to be very clear: I believe that we are not seeing an increase in sexual assaults,” Joschko said. “Rather, I believe we are seeing an increase in sexual assaults being reported to authorities. This is [a] good thing.”
Based upon the results of the Clery Act reported statistics of the nine schools depicted in the graph on A1, criminal activity is relative to population and undergraduate enrollment. As city size and university size increases, criminal activity tends to as well. Likewise, with smaller schools and smaller cities, criminal activity decreases.
BUPD safety offerings for students
• ForeWarn: Text messaging system for immediate emergencies
• Silent Witness: Anonymous tip line
• Hilltop Safety Cruiser: Free rides available 7 p.m. – 3 a.m. every night
• Student Patrol: On foot escort services available Thursday– Saturday 7 p.m.– 3 a.m.
• Vacant House Watch: Registered houses intentionally patrolled during class recesses
• Operation Identification: Free engraving system for student valuables
• Timely Warning/Safety Alert: Email notifications of criminal activity near or on campus
• R.A.D. [Rape Aggression Defense System] training: Self-defense classes for women
• Victim Witness program: Offers support to students dealing with traumatic judicial issues
• Motorist assistance: Tow truck calls, keys locked inside car, dead battery charge
• Officer patrol 24/7 –On foot, bicycle, vehicle
• Bradley-specific police station with 24/7 dispatchers
• All officers are Police Academy-trained
• 77 blue light emergency safety polls
• Clery Act crime statistic reports
• Sexual offender registration listing
• Active shooter training
• Availability for presentations on all safety and precautionary topics
Sources and further statistics
• Bradley University
• Drake University
• Butler University
• Xavier University
• Indiana Institute of Technology
• Dayton University
• Lindenwood University
