PSU crime reflects urban location

The most recent federal crime reports suggest that PortlandState’s urban location affects how it compares with crime atUniversity of Oregon and Oregon State University.

The most recent figures are from 2002 and are reported inaccordance with Uniform Crime Reporting procedures and the JeanneClery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Actof 1998. New figures for 2003 will be posted soon.

PSU is still a commuter university, although it is trending moretoward a residential student body. With so many students driving tothe campus and parking, it is no surprise that PSU reports the mostincidents of motor vehicle theft, 33. By contrast, OSU had nothefts, U of O two.

At PSU, eight of the thefts occurred on campus but none in theuniversity housing parking lots. Twenty-four were on publicproperty and one in a non-campus building.

With numerous urban transients drifting through the campus, itis no surprise that drugs became an enforcement issue. PSU showed100 Campus Public Safety officer actions related to drugs, OSU with59, U of O with 46. The Portland State actions resulted in 79arrests and 21 disciplinary actions, implying that some of the drugissues were students and referred to the Student Conduct Code.

The report showed eight non-forcible sex offenses (whichincludes incest and statutory rape), as compared to two at U of Oand none at OSU. On the other hand, in forcible sex cases, U of Ooutranks PSU, five cases to three.

PSU showed some affinity for other typical urban crimes. Therewere six reported robberies, as compared to two at Eugene and noneat Corvallis. Aggravated assaults also reflected an urban tendency,with eight at PSU as compared to none at OSU and one at U of O.

Some other categories reflected the small town status ofEugene and Corvallis. U of O reported 181 liquor law violations,all arrests. OSU had 160 total cases with 142 arrests. PSU had lessthan half that many cases at 72, with only 18 of them involvingarrest. Burglary was also more prevalent on one of the residentialcampuses. The U of O had 103 reported cases. PSU had 27, OSU24.

When it came to weapons possession it might be expected thatPortland State’s urban location would prove more troublesome thanthe downstate campuses. While OSU had no cases, U of O led thecategory with eight cases while Portland State had seven. At bothuniversities, only one of these was in a residential hall.

Eugene also led the field in arsons with eight, three of them inresidential halls. OSU had none. PSU listed six, none in aresidential hall. In the category of hate crimes, U of O had one,OSU none and PSU four. Three of the Portland State hate crimesrelated to sexual orientation, one to religious orientation.

Theft of personal property has been a continuing problem atPortland State, with 374 cases of larceny listed. The other twocampuses did not list these.

None of the campuses had any murder, negligent or non-negligenthomicide.