The University of Hawaii's Manoa campus is safe but could be safer if students living in dormitories locked their doors, says Donald Dawson, captain of campus security. Crime up slightly
at UH-ManoaA security official says students
can do more to protect themselvesBy Treena Shapiro
tshapiro@starbulletin.comCampus crime statistics, released recently by the U.S. Department of Education, showed a small increase in reports of violent crime last year at the Manoa campus, up to 11 from 8 in 1999: five forcible sex offenses, two robberies and four aggravated assaults.
"For the size of the campus and the number of students we have coming here (17,000), it's really a safe place," Dawson said.
"There really isn't (much crime), not in terms of the kinds of crime that get people really upset," he said. "We pretty much mirror our local community."
Hawaii's smaller residential universities showed fewer instances of violent crime: none at Chaminade, one forcible sex offense at Hawaii Pacific University, two robberies at UH-Hilo, and four aggravated assaults at Brigham Young University-Hawaii.
Dawson said students could try to prevent campus crimes.
"Most of our sexual assaults come by way of alcohol and lack of security awareness," often occurring when a female student leaves her door unlocked when she goes to sleep, Dawson said.
"People tend to feel safe and very trusting in the dorm atmosphere, but they need to lock their doors," he said.
Locking doors could also hinder the campus's biggest crime -- burglary. Dawson said some of the most frustrating burglaries occur in the dormitories when residents leave the room without closing their doors, he said.
Last year, there were 85 burglaries at the Manoa campus, 42 of which occurred in residence halls. The total is up five from 1999, with the biggest increases occurring in the dormitories, but down 21 from 1998.
Bicycles top the list of items to steal, Dawson said, followed by mopeds and computers.
Since campus security began running surveillance operations, however, burglaries have declined, particularly the rash of vending machine break-ins that seem to have ended a couple months ago when campus security caught a thief with his crowbar in the machine, Dawson said.
So far, there have only been six or seven burglaries this semester, he said.
Also reported were 12 cases of arson, up from 10 in 1999 and four in 1998.
"Most of it is malicious mischief," Dawson said, generally people setting fire to trash bins and bulletin boards.
But last year's total also included the July 2000 fire in Campus Center, which caused $160,000 in damage.
Figures in the report indicating that underage drinking and other liquor and drug law violations have almost tripled are misleading, Dawson said. The reports show that 299 students were referred for disciplinary action involving alcohol and drugs, compared to 105 in 1999 and 38 in 1998.
The differences are due more to changes in reporting than in a crackdown on abuse or an increase in violations, Dawson said.
In previous years, the campus only reported cases that led to disciplinary action, such as the loss of student housing or changes to student status.
To view the campus crime data for 6,269 colleges
across the nation, visit http://ope.ed.gov/security
University of Hawaii
Ka Leo O Hawaii
