College publishes crime statistics

Report details incidents and protective measures

The annual Safety and Security information pamphlet arrived in student mailboxes this week. Mandated by Title II of the Federal Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act, the College annually publishes the brochure to inform the community and the campus about criminal incidents of the past year.

The pamphlet not only included statistics of criminal offenses, it also covered what safety and security resources are available on campus. Along with better-known measures such as the security shuttles and the emergency blue light phones, the information highlighted ideas such as CAMPS, a series of programs focused on getting the community to actively participate in campus safety.

The crimes listed are done so in accordance with federal categories. These include criminal homicide, sex offenses, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, motor vehicle theft, arson and hate crimes. The pamphlet covers offenses from 1996 to 1998.

Historically, crime at Oberlin College mainly consisted of burglary. However, for the 1998 calendar year, the majority of the crimes were sexual offenses. 1998 was also the first year that the College was required to report the crimes on adjacent public property, of which there were none.

Peter Goldsmith, dean of students, was eager to clarify the definitions of the criminal categories. The statistics reported must fit explicitly defined federal classifications. This mostly affects sexual offenses. "The numbers reported by no means capture all offenses, nor are they intended to," Goldsmith said. "There are certain kinds of sexual offenses that are not among the numbers."

Goldsmith went on to emphasize that the federal regulations make it difficult to publish all the incidents that have occurred on campus. "It is important to the College that this pamphlet does not represent a deliberate attempt to hide sexual offenses," Goldsmith said.

Director of Safety and Security Keith James also emphasized that all the information is regulated. "Each institution dispenses the information in ways that best fit them," he said. The pamphlet was an effective way for the College to fulfill the federal requirements.

The brochure also maintained that while the statistics portray the College as a relatively safe campus, it should not be forgotten that the College community must constantly be aware of safety precautions. These precautions include locking doors at all times and walking in lighted areas.