Spring Break
2007 Clery Report shows increase in thefts on campus
Jack Willems
Issue date: 10/10/08 Section: News
The UA Police Department experienced an increase in reported thefts last year, according to the 2007 Clery Report, which was released last Thursday.
The number of larceny thefts reported to the UAPD increased to 254 last year, a nearly 30 percent increase from the year before.
This increase in thefts goes against the general trend in recent years of fewer thefts being reported. - the number of thefts reported to the UAPD has decreased every year since 2001, according to past Clery Reports.
Larceny thefts are typically crimes of opportunity, said Lt. Gary Crain, UAPD public information officer. The number of thefts has increased as the number of opportunities for theft has increased, and most thefts are the result of property being left unattended, he said.
"If we could minimize the amount of property left unattended, we could really cut down on thefts on this campus," Crain said.
Larceny thefts were not the only type of property crime that was more common last year. The UAPD also received 81 reports of burglary last year, while in 2006, the UAPD received 73 reports of burglary.
There has been an 83 percent increase in burglaries since 2003, and of the burglaries reported last year, 61 occurred on campus and 19 occurred in residence halls, according to the report.
Unlawful entry into a room is considered to be burglary, and the majority of burglaries occur when the door to someone's room is unlocked, Crain said. However, the perpetrator does not necessarily have to take something for it to be considered a burglary, he said.
There also were five reports of motor vehicle theft last year, down from eight reports in 2006.
Enrollment increased 4 percent in the fall 2007 semester. Increased enrollment could be one cause of an increase in thefts and burglaries, but so could the economy, Crain said. The main factor is whether or not people leave their property unattended, he said.
Property crime across the nation decreased 1.4 percent last year, and it has decreased 10.1 percent since 1998, according to the FBI. Larcenies constituted 66.7 percent of property crimes last year, and there was a 0.6 percent decrease of such thefts last year.
The number of larceny thefts reported to the UAPD increased to 254 last year, a nearly 30 percent increase from the year before.
This increase in thefts goes against the general trend in recent years of fewer thefts being reported. - the number of thefts reported to the UAPD has decreased every year since 2001, according to past Clery Reports.
Larceny thefts are typically crimes of opportunity, said Lt. Gary Crain, UAPD public information officer. The number of thefts has increased as the number of opportunities for theft has increased, and most thefts are the result of property being left unattended, he said.
"If we could minimize the amount of property left unattended, we could really cut down on thefts on this campus," Crain said.
Larceny thefts were not the only type of property crime that was more common last year. The UAPD also received 81 reports of burglary last year, while in 2006, the UAPD received 73 reports of burglary.
There has been an 83 percent increase in burglaries since 2003, and of the burglaries reported last year, 61 occurred on campus and 19 occurred in residence halls, according to the report.
Unlawful entry into a room is considered to be burglary, and the majority of burglaries occur when the door to someone's room is unlocked, Crain said. However, the perpetrator does not necessarily have to take something for it to be considered a burglary, he said.
There also were five reports of motor vehicle theft last year, down from eight reports in 2006.
Enrollment increased 4 percent in the fall 2007 semester. Increased enrollment could be one cause of an increase in thefts and burglaries, but so could the economy, Crain said. The main factor is whether or not people leave their property unattended, he said.
Property crime across the nation decreased 1.4 percent last year, and it has decreased 10.1 percent since 1998, according to the FBI. Larcenies constituted 66.7 percent of property crimes last year, and there was a 0.6 percent decrease of such thefts last year.
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