Issue date: 6/25/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Chris Griffin [Click to enlarge]

Texas A&M University Police Department officials say on-campus crime for 2007 is down in most areas including burglary of vehicle, larceny theft and minor-in-possession arrests when compared to crime statistics from the same period - January to April - in 2006. With fewer people on-campus from May to August, UPD officials expect crime statistics to be low this summer.

Officer Kristi Hosea from the UPD crime prevention unit said larceny theft, which encompasses bicycle theft, personal property theft and opportunity theft, has decreased from 200 reported cases in 2006 to 177 cases reported this year.

"Petty theft is the primary problem at A&M because students have the tendency to leave their personal property lying around," Hosea said. "We see a lot more theft around holidays and before students leave for summer."

Hosea said when students move out of the dorms in May, unattended property left on the sidewalks is a major target for criminals. Laptops being stolen out of professors' offices and bicycle theft were two other problems the UPD dealt with this spring, Hosea said.

"Students have to understand that if they leave something lying around, such as a backpack, when they are sleeping in the MSC, it might not be there when they wake up," Hosea said. "Some students aren't as honest as others, so it is important to take care of your personal property."

Also fewer were arrests for minors-in-possession, from 20 in 2006 to 10 this spring, with most of the arrests occurring in March and April.

"Increased alcohol offenses in the spring revolve around spring break and warmer weather as students begin to go outside more often," Hosea said.

According to previous reports, there has been at least one report of sexual assault on campus since 2003.

During the first week of February of this year, a female student was sexually assaulted outside the Blocker Building on the north side of campus, but detailed information was not provided to the UPD.

"This situation was not boyfriend and girlfriend related; the attacker was not an A&M student," Hosea said. "Less than 3 percent of college women actually report being sexually assaulted, so there may be more cases out there that we just don't know about."

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