A review and comparison of the 2019 annual security report
By Will Barnett, CONTRIBUTOR
In the most recent security report released by the California State University, East Bay, the total number of crimes reported on campus was significantly lower than those reported in the previous years. When comparing these statistics to other CSU campuses, CSUEB has proven to be one of the safest CSUs.
Every year under federal law, each campus police department is required to release crime statistics under what is known as the Clery Act. In early September each year, CSUEB released its annual security report that breaks down the crime statistics on campus from the previous year.
In 2018, there were five total cases of reported rapes on campus and campus dorms. This was a severe decrease from 2017 where there was a total of 21 reported cases. When comparing these numbers to other CSU campuses, this is one of the lowest recorded numbers. California State University, Monterey Bay had a total of 26 reported rape cases in 2018. Chico State had a combined 13 rape cases reported.
The numbers were also down for burglaries on campus. In 2018, there were 27 cases of burglary on campus and in campus dorms. This is a huge decline from the previous year where there were a total of 49 burglary reports. However, this is still relatively high compared to CSU campuses. CSU Stanislaus did not have a recorded burglary incident in 2018. San Jose State University only had a total of 10 burglary cases. However, because of its proximity to downtown, there were 11 off-campus incidents that were reported to the University Police Department.
Students on campus believe that their safety is reflective of the improvement in crime statistics over the past years.
“I always feel safe on campus no matter what time of day it is,” said CSUEB student Greg Smith.“I am always on campus late at night whether that be for class or studying in the library at night.”
CSUEB student Joanne Roecker believes that as a woman she also feels safe on campus.
“Yeah, I definitely feel safe walking around campus. I think that as a woman I am always on high alert when I’m walking anywhere alone, and I take the necessary precautions but I’ve never felt unsafe at East Bay,” said Roecker.
It appears the police have completed their work as well as they possibly can. The latest security report showed that there wasn’t one reported crime that hadn’t gone unsolved.
Newly appointed Chief of Police, Mark Flores believes that the key to safety on campus is good communication between the University Police Department and others on campus.
“One of the best ways to minimize crime on campus is through collaboration with the campus community,” said Flores. “It is important for UPD officers to interact with students, faculty, and staff regularly.”
Flores also believes that one of the keys to CSUEB being one of the safest campuses in the state is its diversity.
“The campus community is diverse and maintains open communication and collaboration between students, faculty, and staff,” Flores said.
With the lowered crime statistics on campus, improved student safety and a police force that is committed to keeping crime low. The students and faculty appear to be in trusted hands on one of the safest CSU campuses.