In 2016, Syracuse University reported a higher number of on-campus burglaries, dating violence incidents and liquor law disciplinary actions than most of its 16 peer institutions, crime statistics show.

SU’s annual security report, sent to the campus community via email Friday by the Division of Campus Safety and Emergency Services, also indicated there were 12 reported rape cases on campus in 2016, increasing from eight in 2015.

Colleges and universities that receive federal money, including SU, are required to publish a security report by Oct. 1 each year under the Jeanne Clery Act.

“Numbers tend to change from year to year and we do study and compare those changes so that we can shape our programs, services and responses,” Department of Public Safety Chief Bobby Maldonado said in a statement.

The increase in rape cases on SU’s Main Campus last year is due to widespread education about sexual violence and how to report it, DPS believes, Maldonado said.

Most of SU’s peer institutions, between 2015 and 2016, indicated an increase in the number of on-campus rape cases or reported no change in the number of on-campus rape cases, university crime statistics show.

“That’s the same trend being seen at campuses around the nation where an increase in education and outreach appears to be producing an increase in reporting,” Maldonado said.

Multiple peer institutions also reported a higher number of on-campus rape cases in comparison to SU, statistics show. On Boston College’s main campus, 27 rape cases were reported, for example. On George Washington University’s main campus, 33 rape cases were reported.

Out of SU peer institutions, only Lehigh University — a private research college in eastern Pennsylvania — reported that there were no rape cases on its main campus. Lehigh has an undergraduate population of about 5,000.

Bridget Slomian | Design Editor

American University, Lehigh and off-campus medical facilities at Vanderbilt University — which were included in a data set separate from crime statistics for Vanderbilt’s main campus — were the only peer institutions to report a decrease in the number of on-campus rape cases in 2016.

Additionally, SU reported eight cases of on-campus dating violence in 2016. Both Boston University and Tulane University reported eight cases of dating violence. Only Northwestern’s Chicago campus reported more dating violence incidents, with 10.

In 2013, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act required colleges start maintaining statistics on dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking, per the Federal Register.

Compared to peer institutions, SU reported the second highest number of on-campus stalking incidents in 2016, with 15 cases. BU and George Washington also reported 15 stalking cases each. American reported 17 stalking cases last year.

SU, though, indicated there were no domestic violence incidents on campus in 2016. A quarter of SU’s peer institutions also indicated there were no domestic violence incidents on their campuses, statistics show.

Northwestern’s Chicago campus and BU Medical Campus were outliers, reporting 25 and 20 cases of domestic violence last year, respectively.

Meanwhile, SU also reported an increase in the number of drug law violation referrals/disciplinary actions between 2015 and 2016. The number of cases jumped from 124 to 215.

“We can’t be certain but it may be the size of last year’s first-year class, which was among the University’s largest to date,” Maldonado said, referring to the referrals/disciplinary actions. “As a result, there was a significant increase in the number of students living in on-campus residential facilities.”

In 2016, SU reported a high number of liquor law violations compared to peer institutions.

SU issued 1,073 referrals/disciplinary actions due to on-campus liquor law violations. Only Boston College issued more referrals/disciplinary actions due to liquor law violations, with 1,573 cases in total.

Bridget Slomian | Design Editor

Most schools, including SU, had a low number of drug and liquor law violation arrests. SU reported 11 drug law violation arrests and no liquor law violation arrests.

One outlier was Lehigh, which reported 79 liquor violation arrests. Additionally, BU Medical Campus reported 53 drug violation arrests last year.

SU reported the second highest number of hate or bias crimes in 2016 compared to its peer institutions. The university had five on-campus cases, if combining both intimidation and vandalism incidents.

Bridget Slomian | Design Editor

Additionally, SU reported two intimidation incidents motivated by race and one intimidation incident motivated by sexual orientation. The university also reported a racially motivated vandalism case and religiously motivated vandalism case.

Out of SU peer institutions, only American reported a higher number of hate crimes on its main campus, with six crimes in total.

In 2016, SU also reported 40 on-campus burglaries. Only the University of Dayton and Georgetown University reported more burglaries, out of peer institutions, with 44 and 47, respectively.

“We found that nearly all the reported burglaries involved an unlocked door,” Maldonado said. “That’s why we put hangtags on students’ doors reminding them to lock up and send mass emails to the campus community.”

Most of SU’s peer institutions only reported a handful of robberies, if any at all. SU reported no robberies. Northeastern University reported 24 robberies on its main campus last year, though.

Published on October 1, 2017 at 11:11 pm

Contact Sam: sfogozal@syr.edu | @SamOgozalek