Last spring, the Department of Public Safety reported that robberies and vandalism were down on campus, but batteries and thefts were up. That trend continues, but with different numbers, according to DPS Cpt. Russell Shaw, who provided statistics to the Tribune pertaining to thefts, batteries and robberies around campus.
Batteries on campus continue to increase. From Jan. 1 to Aug. 21, 2011, there were 18 batteries and in the same period in 2012, that number doubled. Despite the large increase, 13 of those batteries took place during the summer. Shaw said people do not need to panic.
“That seems like a very alarming number, that increase,” Shaw said. “However, six were non-Marquette related batteries this summer. So almost half of the batteries that happened were non-Marquette affiliated batteries.”
Shaw said the increase in thefts from 115 to 154 in the January to August time period is mainly due to the rising number of bike thefts.
DPS reported that robberies on campus were decreasing last spring. That trend has continued. From Jan. 1 to Aug. 31, 2011, there were 15 robberies. During that same time frame in 2012 there were nine.
“Anyone who was here last year would remember that we had a pretty big spike in robberies at the beginning of the school year, but this year has actually been really good,” Shaw said.
Last year, DPS started a new procedure for when a robbery takes place on or around campus. Now, when one of these crimes happens on campus, a text message and an email is sent to students to warn them of a threat on campus.
The new procedure was already put into action once, on Aug. 31, when an armed robbery took place in the 2300 block of W. Wisconsin Ave.
Fewer students have used the LIMO service this year than last year. Between move-in day, Aug. 24, and Sept. 15 last year, 29,306 students who used the LIMO service. This year, 23,304 students used the LIMO service between move-in day, Aug. 22, and Sept. 13.
“To expedite transports, always be watching and waiting for your ride with your MUID out and ready to show the driver,” said Sgt. Daniel Kolosovsky, who is in charge of Student Safety Patrol.
