A new report from The Ohio State University shows that crime on campus increased in 2017. The Annual Security Report and Annual Fire Safety Report reported that cases of aggravated assault, rape and burglary increased from the previous year.
Burglary incidents jumped the most. There were 49 incidents in 2017, compared to 19 the previous year.
Compliance director Kellie Brennan says burglary saw the dramatic increase in part because sophomores have to live on campus now.
“We have had a marked increase in the number of students who live on campus," Brennan says. "So about 30 percent of an increase over the past few years. And we've also just seen an uptick.”
The number of reported rape incidents on campus climbed from 57 in 2016 to 71 in 2017. There were 22 reported incidents of fondling in 2016 and 29 such incidents in 2017.
Brennan says sexual assault is being reported more in part because of training for incoming students that teaches them how to recognize it.
“What we have seen over the past few years and what we continue to expect to see is an increase in reporting, especially when we're talking about things like sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking,” Brennan says.
Ohio State releases yearly climate survey results in addition to the annual crime report. Brennan says results from the anonymous climate surveys show that the incidents of sexual assault remain the same, but that the crime statistics shows the reporting of such crime has increased.
“Report is actually support. We don't want that to be a scary thing. We want people to feel comfortable and confident in coming forward,” Brennan says. “That they will be believed, supported and helped.”
Non-campus aggravated assault increased from one incident in 2016 to 13 in 2017. Brennan says at least seven of those 13 assaults were tied to one unnamed fraternity.
Fourteen of the 32 hate crimes reported in 2016 were a part of an on-campus knife attack in 2016.
The report was filed in compliance with the Clery Act, which requires public universities to disclose crime statistics.
