Reported drug use is up, says Public Safety

On-campus drug abuse violations and reported sex offenses rose last year while burglaries fell, according to the Department of Public Safety annual security report released Monday.

There were no reports of murder, manslaughter, robbery or aggravated assault on campus in 2006.

Of the statistics included, the most striking trend was the rise in forcible sex offenses, from only three in 2004 to 17 last year. But Steven Healy, director of Public Safety, said he did not believe the increase indicated an actual upsurge in sex offenses, but rather that a larger percentage of them were reported.

"Sexual offenses are known to be the most underreported crime in society in general, with 70 to 80 percent of cases going unreported," he said. "The [Sexual Harassment/Assault Advising, Resources and Education] SHARE office has done a great job creating a welcoming environment, so victims feel safe going there and reporting those statistics."

The report also showed a rise in drug abuse violations in dorms, from only nine in 2004 to 22 last year, nearly all of which were for marijuana possession.

To explain the rise, Healy cited the recent ban on smoking in dorms, which took effect in 2005. "People in the residence halls are less tolerant now," he said. "If people smell smoke, their first inclination is to call us."

Though incidences of on-campus burglaries and vehicle thefts declined last year, Healy said he was wary of crediting Public Safety alone for the decrease. Instead, he cited security devices the University has installed in recent years, including new ground-floor window screens that are more difficult to cut open.

Healy added that most campus burglaries are not forced-entry. "Typically, a student will leave a door unlocked, and someone will come in," he said. "We tend to believe these are student-on-student crimes."

Missing from the report are statistics on bicycle theft, which is the most prevalent crime on campus, Healy said. Bicycle theft is not one of the categories mandated for inclusion in the report, which is released annually in accordance with federal law.

Donald Reichling, acting associate director of Public Safety, provided bicycle theft statistics for the last three years and noted a decline. While 145 were reported in 2004 and 141 were reported in 2005, just 83 were reported in 2006. Year to date, there have been 65, the same number there were year to date last year.

Healy advised students not to leave valuables unattended in public places, even though many consider Princeton a secure enough campus on which to do so. "It's good to be in an environment that feels safe," he said, "but we don't want students to be lulled into a false sense of security."

Nevertheless, Healy added that his largest worry is not theft but alcohol use among students. "The thing that keeps me up at night is the possible consequences of high-risk drinking," he said. "Right down the street at Rider University, we lost a student," a reference to the alcohol poisoning death of Rider freshman Gary DeVercelly last spring during a fraternity party. "That's my worst nightmare."