Violent crime increased around the Milwaukee area last year, according to the Milwaukee Police Department crime statistics report for 2012 released Feb. 14, although crime around Marquette saw no significant change.
Overall crime, however, decreased by 16 percent over the last six years, according to the report, including a one percent decrease in crime from 2011 to 2012.
The largest increase in violent crime was in assault offenses, according to the report. From 2011 to 2012, assault offenses increased from 3,256 to 4,333. Rape and homicide also increased from 2011 to 2012, but the increase was less than 8 percent for each category.
Marquette’s campus saw only five assaults per year in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Statistics from 2012 are still under review.
Department of Public Safety Capt. Russell Shaw credits the Marquette administration for its ability to keep DPS running efficiently.
“While the neighborhood around Marquette is not immune to increases in crime around the city of Milwaukee, the area Public Safety patrols continues to remain one of the safest in the city,” Shaw said. “We do not experience the same dramatic increases that other parts of the city might see year-to-year.”
Though 2012 statistics are still under review, Shaw said the campus has remained safe.
“Our preliminary numbers show we are down in robbery and sexual assault, which are the two most serious personal crimes reported in our area,” Shaw said.
Danielle Kadlec, a freshman in the College of Communication, said she sometimes feels uncomfortable walking around the city but generally feels safe on campus.
“There are times that I do get scared,” Kadlec said. “But I do feel within a community when I am on the campus.”
Ryan Kitchie, also a freshman in the College of Communication, said Milwaukee is different from his hometown of Wilmette, Ill., but he feels safe at Marquette due to the services it provides around campus.
“It makes me a little nervous being in a very high centralized crime rate city, but I know Marquette’s facilities are very safe, and I am not worried anywhere on campus,” Kitchie said.
