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by EDWARD SZTUKOWSKI
News Reporter
University Police released their annual crime report Sept. 29, showing statistics of crime from 2005 to 2007.
Since 1990, campuses and universities have been required to publish crime statistics if they receive federal funding, University Chief of Police Gunther E. Doerr said.
“In the 80s, colleges were not required to report on crimes,” he said. “When a coed was murdered and raped, the parents lobbied to divulge crime statistics on campus and the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act was passed.”
Now called the Clery Act, the report shows the number of murders, sex offenses, larcenies, and drug and alcohol violations.
Violent
crime in Boone has been steadily low, and according to statistics from
2003 to 2007, there has been an 18 percent decrease in the number of
people involved in alcohol violations.
There were a total of 281 arrests and 297 referrals made for alcohol in 2007.
In 2003, there were 14 arrests, but 681 referrals.
Differences between 2003 and 2007 are due to policy changes regarding alcohol.
“Over
the last 10 years, our philosophy has changed,” Doerr said. “Ten years
ago you would receive a referral, but now we are told if there is a
violation, an arrest should be made unless it’s a minor citation.”
Doerr
said fall is the most likely time for alcohol violations to be given
because the season contains large events that contribute to drinking.
“Enforcement
is always an issue because we can’t be everywhere at once,” he said.
“We concentrate on high risk areas like the football games and
concerts. If there aren’t any events, we usually concentrate on
watching drivers or people walking around.”
When
Legends opened at Appalachian State University, drinking tickets were
often given to people who did not know the rules, Doerr said.
“Ten
years ago we were writing Legends lots of drinking citations, but
people know and understand the rules now,” he said. “Overtime, I expect
to see the same thing with tailgating and football.”
Overall, Appalachian is a safe environment compared to other counties in North Carolina.
“Generally,
we have a safe campus. Our crime is low compared to other parts of the
state,” Doerr said. “We want people to report crimes they see; actively
reporting crimes is our goal.”
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