The University of Indianapolis published the 2023-24 Annual Security Report, as mandated by the Clery Act.
According to the Clery Center, the Clery Act requires colleges and universities to report campus crime statistics and outline security procedures and policies to improve campus safety. It established a standardized process for universities to disclose information about crimes that occur on campuses. It aims for transparency around campus crime policy and statistics.
Chief of Police and Director of Public Safety Brandon Pate said the most common offense on campus is theft of opportunity, but the most reportable crime is drug and liquor-related, with 36 combined total offenses. With the average UIndy student age being 23, per College Data, UIPD cannot control whether of-age students drink, but the department’s approach to responding to liquor offenses is through education and awareness.
“It is something that is going to be ever-present no matter what we do,” Pate said. “We can’t tell you that you can’t drink, but we can give some education about what is a safe way to consume alcohol.”
Title IX offenses increased from 2022, with seven stalking offenses, nine dating violence offenses and three domestic violence offenses. According to the report, Title IX regulations, procedures and assistance for victims are comprehensively outlined to offer transparency.
Pate said the department’s biggest challenge is shifting from responsive to proactive action. This requires the department to be “data-informed” to develop predictive strategies and proactive tactics rather than responding after the fact.
“The challenge is making sure that we’re always kind of on the front of the mitigation of crime,” Pate said. “We don’t want to sit back and become responsive to things.”
The ASR shows an overall decrease in most offenses compared to the previous two years. Pate said UIPD took a targeted and concentrated approach to a public safety plan’s three prongs: education, enforcement and engagement.
“We knew if we leaned into those [three prongs] and cultivated it, we would create a more visible campus safety culture and that was going to reduce crime just based off the fact that you knew who the officers were, you knew who the students were, you knew who staff and faculty was…” Pate said.
UIPD programmed safety events for students, such as workshops, presentations and the annual Public Safety Week educational campaign, to promote prevention and awareness. Pate said UIPD sees reduced crime on campus and greater engagement with the campus community.
“The end results of that [workshops] is usually reduced crime because you start to feel more comfortable speaking to law enforcement,” Pate said. “… It’s the relationships and collaboration really drive down, not just crime occurrences, but the ability to respond to those in a timely manner.”
