Butler University had more crimes in five of the 17 crime sub-categories listed in Butler’s recently released Comprehensive Combined Annual Security Report and Annual Fire Safety Report for 2011.
Forcible sex offenses, liquor law arrests, drug law arrests, drug law violations referred for Student Conduct Actions and forcible burglary at Butler all increased from 2010 to 2011.
The report, which consists of crime statistics from 2009 through 2011, was sent out to the Butler community on Sept. 26.
Crime decreased in five categories and stayed the same in the seven remaining categories.
The most notable decrease was found in the number of liquor law violations referred for SCA, which dropped from 288 to 175.
Sally Click, dean of student services, said she is not very impressed with the decrease in liquor law violations because it changes each year by about 100 cases.
“Unless the drop was really significant, I am not surprised,” Click said. “We just try to be consistent each year in how we handle the violations.”
Ben Hunter, executive director of public safety, said he was pleased with most of the report, except for the rise in forcible sex offenses.
“When it comes to sex offenses, one is too many,” Hunter said. “But one of the reasons there is an increase in the numbers is because in the past the instances wouldn’t always be reported by victim’s choice, but now they must (due to the Clery Act).”
Forcible burglaries rose from 11 to 17 incidences, but Bill Weber, assistant police chief, said that individual cases could distort the statistics.
“If a burglar entered four close rooms while trespassing in an apartment, that is technically five burglaries,” Weber said, “one for the apartment and one for each room.”
“Overall, I am not pleased with the report because any police department would want to see all categories decrease,” Weber said, ”but that’s just not the case.“
“We are also being much more transparent in our reporting because the coverage and classification of crimes (were) broadened by the state of Indiana,” Hunter said. “We now include larcenies in the categories of burglary.”
“That wider net of crimes covered could be the reason for the increase in numbers,” Hunter said, “but crimes are still happening regardless of the change in coverage.”
