NCJ Number
235118
Date Published
March 2009
Length
186 pages
Annotation
This report presents data on the nature, volume, and extent of reported crimes on the campuses and in the housing of Tennessee colleges and universities during calendar year 2008.
Abstract
A total of 7,371 offenses were reported on Tennessee's campuses for 2007, and 6,900 were reported for 2008, a 6.4-percent decrease. The larger institutions were asked about possible explanations for this decrease. Most institutions attributed the decrease to a proactive response that emphasized crime prevention; for example, many institutions have installed card readers on building access points, hired more patrol officers, and assigned officers to fixed posts. One campus installed just over 200 security cameras. Some institutions have partnered with the Governor's Highway Safety Commission to hold sobriety check points on and near college campuses. Also, many institutions have installed various forms of emergency alert systems that alert students, employees, and guests of emergency events and activities on an institution's property. Larceny/theft offenses continue to compose the largest percentage of offenses reported (38 percent in 2008). This has been a consistent trend since 2005. Drugs/narcotics violations increased 3.6 percent, and drug-equipment violations decreased 6.8 percent. The number of arrests for driving under the influence (DUI) increased from 189 to 225 (19-percent increase). Reported rapes decreased from 25 in 2007 to 12 during 2008. Reported robbery offenses remained the same as 2007; fraud offenses have decreased 30.2 percent in 2008, and larceny/theft offenses increased 3.4 percent in 2008. Reported crimes that occurred off campus continued to increase. This may be due to the police giving more attention to the identification of college students who are victims of crime that occur off campus. Data for this report were obtained from the Tennessee Incident Based Reporting System (TIBRS), which collected data on all crimes that occur in the State. Extensive tables