Western Carolina University Police

A great deal of national attention has been focused on campus crime statistics for the last ten years. But, crime statistics can be misleading if they are not explained. I will provide comments to help you understand our statistical data listed below.

You may have heard that Western Carolina University is a safe campus. Certainly, our crime rates are lower than those at more metropolitan campuses because we are located in a rural area. We have fewer criminals.

But, please remember that low crime rates mean little to the person who is victimized. For the victim, one crime is too many…and one crime is also too many for us.

Students are invited to use the information provided here for academic projects.

The statistics below are for Calendar Year 2003. We are in the process of counting statistics for 2004; they will be published to this page when they are complete.

TRAFFIC AND PARKING ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS: Our enforcement philosophy and enforcement alternatives are listed at http://police.wcu.edu/policeindex2.html.
ACTION DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS	CENSUS

VEHICLE STOPS	543
WARNINGS ISSUED Our traffic law enforcement philosophy suggests that we use our enforcement efforts to educate drivers on traffic law and help them comply by attempting to choose the level of enforcement necessary to successfully educate the offender. We issue a lot of warnings. Many of the state citations were issued to multiple offenders.	353

CITATIONS ISSUED These citations are legal summonses to appear in District Court in Sylva, just like any other law enforcement officer issues. They carry fines, court costs, and insurance points.	106
MINOR VIOLATIONS
SPEEDING	43
OTHER MINOR VIOLATIONS	63

SERIOUS VIOLATIONS
DRIVING WHILE IMPAIRED	19
PROVISIONAL LICENSEE (DRIVING AFTER DRINKING)	6
HIT & RUN	3
OPEN CONTAINER	3
DRIVING WHILE LICENSE REVOKED	7
SPEEDING TO ELUDE ARREST	3
NO OPERATOR LICENSE	3

PARKING CITATIONS (8/1/02-5/31/03) Our enforcement philosophy for parking violations is to attempt to cite every illegally parked vehicle to promote compliance with the parking regulations by reducing the probability that a person will be able to park illegally and avoid consequences.	32,271

VEHICLES TOWED (8/1/02-5/31/03) Vehicles are towed if they are causing a serious traffic problem or if they have accumulated more than five parking citations in one semester. ( See the parking regulations for more information at http://police.wcu.edu/parkingregindex2.html)	122

ACCIDENTS INVESTIGATED
ACCIDENTS WITH PROPERTY DAMAGE	101
HIT & RUN ACCIDENTS Isn’t it amazing that over 25% of the traffic accidents we investigate are hit & runs? Where do our students learn that it is all right simply to drive away if you hit another car? Report all accidents to us. It’s better than getting charged.	36
TOTAL	137

CRIME REPORTS AND SELECTED ARRESTS STATISTICS
ACTION DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS	CENSUS
DRUG CALLS This number includes all calls related to drug use whether or not drugs are detected. Residential Living staff will notify the police whenever they smell marijuana in the halls. Students are warned: don’t smoke marijuana in the residence halls. You are likely to be caught. Additional information on our search and seizure policy and procedure can be found at http://police.wcu.edu/policeindex.html. Additional information on University drug policies is available at http://www.wcu.edu/chancellor/index/universitypolicy/policy38.html.	98
NARCOTICS ARRESTS	56
NARCOTICS VIOLATIONS REFERRED When we make an arrest of a student, that student is also referred for campus judicial action. So the numbers of students who faced disciplinary action for drug violations was higher than shown above.	46

ALCOHOL As with drug calls, the total number of alcohol calls listed here includes situations where underaged consumption of alcohol was detected in connection with other complaints. It is possible that several people may be cited or face disciplinary action in connection with one call so the numbers of arrests and referrals actually exceed the number of calls. The University policy on alcohol is available at http://www.wcu.edu/chancellor/index/universitypolicy/policy81.html. The alcohol policy for the residence halls is listed at http://housing.wcu.edu/policies_Regs.asp.	53
ALCOHOL ARRESTS	44
ALCOHOL VIOLATIONS REFERRED Again, any student arrested for an alcohol violation was also referred for disciplinary action, so the total number referred is actually 160.	116

WEAPONS State laws on weapons on the property of an educational institution are strictly enforced at Western Carolina. Possession of firearms and explosives on campus is a felony. Possession of other types of weapons including knives, martial arts weapons, bows, arrows, swords, axes, BB guns, paint ball guns, blackjacks, brass knuckles and other instruments used as weapons are misdemeanors. Additional information on weapons policies is available at http://www.wcu.edu/chancellor/index/universitypolicy/policy63.html and http://www.wcu.edu/studenthomepage/handbook/.	12
WEAPONS ARREST	4
WEAPONS VIOLATIONS REFERRED Under normal circumstances, we do not refer firearms for campus judicial action. We arrest. Referrals involve knives, clubs, and other weapons that are usually less dangerous	8

RAPE/SEXUAL ASSAULT Both of these incidents were date/acquaintance rape situations. A woman is much more likely to be assaulted by someone she knows than by a stranger. While we recommend prevention techniques to prevent stranger rape such as walking with a friend and avoiding areas that make you feel uncomfortable, the last stranger rape that was reported at Western occurred in 1989. There are policies to address sexual assault and sexual harassment on campus that provide support and protection for the victim. The University’s sexual assault policy and protocol is listed at http://www.wcu.edu/studentd/safety/#sexualassult.	2

BURGLARY A burglary is a break-in or unauthorized entry into a building or a room with the intent to commit a crime (usually theft) therein. Most of these occur in the residence halls where room doors are left unlocked. Some occur while the resident of the room is asleep with the door unlocked. Burglary is a crime that everyone needs to be concerned about. Several times each year, men are victimized when they are sleeping in their rooms with the doors unlocked and thieves enter and steal small articles like wallets and cash. Lock your door even when you leave your room for just a minute. Sleep with your door locked.	34

LARCENY (THEFT) This category includes all thefts: those from vehicles, rooms, offices, and from the grounds of the campus. Along with vandalism, it is our most numerous crime.	151

MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT This number includes three motorcycles, one travel trailer, and one car.	5

VANDALISM Vandalism (damage to property) is usually our most numerous offense. We know that many of the incidents of vandalism on campus are related to alcohol consumption.	104

PHONE CALLS (HARASSING) There was a time not so long ago when harassing phone calls was one of our most numerous complaints. But, our voice mail system now identifies the number of the caller. Now, students tend to use e-mail or instant message to deliver threats and harassment to each other.	18

E-MAIL (HARASSING/THREAT) Threats by phone, e-mail, or instant message are not pranks. We consider them serious offenses and prosecute whenever possible.	14

SIMPLE ASSAULT A simple assault is an “unwanted touching” or an assault where there is no serious physical injury.	13

AGGRAVATED ASSAULT An aggravated assault is one where injury results and medical treatment is required. It could also be male on female, with a weapon, or sexually-related.	5

OFF-CAMPUS ASSAULTS Most of these assaults occurred at large parties at local apartment complexes or fraternities where intoxication contributes to verbal conflicts, fights, and assaults. There were three off-campus incidents which particularly concerned us. In one, a local resident fired a weapon at a student on NC 107 between Cullowhee and Sylva. The suspect was arrested by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and charged with attempted murder. This incident appeared to be related to a conflict on the highway. A second incident occurred approximately 1 mile from campus where unknown persons fired several shots into a parked car at a local trailer park. The car belonged to a student. While we have some information on that incident that is being investigated by the Sheriff’s Office with support from us, there have been no arrests at this time. A third incident occurred approximately 1 mile from campus and involved an attempted sexual assault with a knife. The victim, a WCU student, was wounded in the encounter. The suspect, a 16-year-old local youth who had been living with the student and her boyfriend at times, was charged in this case.	6

TRESPASS When a student or non-student is involved in a disturbance, conflict, or crime on campus, we have the authority to tell that person not to go back into specific buildings for a specific period of time. We have the authority to tell non-students to leave campus and not come back for a specified period of time. We use this authority to prevent further disruptions and give those people involved in conflicts time to cool off. If they return to areas from which they have been “banned,” they may be arrested for trespassing.	14

PEEPING TOM These two reports are on two separate incidents of a male going into a shower in Helder Hall and watching while a female was in the shower. The suspect was not identified and descriptions varied.	2

COMPUTER MISUSE Since the University’s computer system is a state-owned system, there are restrictions for anyone who uses it. Misuse can result in loss of computer privileges, disciplinary action, and criminal prosecution. The University policy on use of computers and the campus computer systems is listed at http://www.wcu.edu/chancellor/index/universitypolicy/policy52.html.	5
(SEXUALLY-ORIENTED) These cases involved one employee who was viewing pornographic material on a state computer and one student whose computer was being used to distribute pornography.	2

FRAUD Most of these frauds involve the illegal use of stolen Cat Cards. If your Cat Card is lost or stolen, report it immediately to the police. We can cancel it for you so that it cannot be used.	8

POSSESS STOLEN PROPERTY It is illegal to possess stolen property. It is illegal to possess any sign owned by the NC Department of Transportation. That is where most of these stolen property reports arise.	6

FORGERY This report involved a stolen check that was forged and passed.	1

COMMUNICATING THREATS We hope that our students will learn that personal interactions should not be based on the standards set by the World Wrestling Federation. Threats are not acceptable and are illegal. If conflicts arise among students that cannot be talked through in a civil manner, there is help available through mediation from Residential Living and Counseling and Psychological Services.	7

ARSON One of these incidents involved students setting fire to a trash can in a residence hall. The others were all committed by the same three male students who set fires in planting beds around campus for a period of about two weeks until they were apprehended and prosecuted.	5

OTHER CRIMINAL CHARGES FILED/ARRESTS
DESCRIPTION	CENSUS

INTOXICATED AND DISRUPTIVE ARRESTS	16
RESIST ARREST	10
FAIL TO APPEAR IN COURT ARRESTS	6
VANDALISM ARRESTS	7
SIMPLE ASSAULT ARRESTS	6
AGGRAVATED ASSAULT ARRESTS	4
TRESPASSING ARRESTS	5
STOLEN PROPERTY ARRESTS	4
LARCENY ARRESTS	2
BURGLARY ARRESTS	1
BREAK & ENTER VEHICLE ARREST	1
MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT ARRESTS	1
FALSE INFORMATION TO OFFICER ARRESTS	1
INDECENT EXPOSURE ARREST	1
DISORDERLY CONDUCT ARRESTS	2
COMMUNICATE THREATS ARRESTS	1
PROBATION VIOLATION ARRESTS	3

Remember that when criminal charges are filed against a student, that student may also face disciplinary action for violation of the Student Code of Conduct on campus.

OTHER CALLS FOR SERVICE
DESCRIPTION	CENSUS

ALARMS These are fire alarm calls and nearly all are false alarms caused by system problems or intentional false activations in the residence halls. Remember that causing a false fire alarm and damaging fire detection and suppression systems is a crime and will be prosecuted.	245
DISTURBANCE	48
ASSAULT/FIGHTS	13
ASSIST EMS CALLS When WCU EMS responds to a call, many times our police officers also respond to provide security for the workers and assistance if necessary.	40
DRUG OVERDOSE Sadly, most drug overdoses are intentional. We recognize that students are under a great deal of personal stress from academic, social, and family situations. Help is available on campus through our Counseling and Psychological Services office. The University Police can contact a counselor at any time of the day to help.	3
ALCOHOL OVERDOSE On the other hand, most alcohol overdoses are unintentional. In most of these cases, the student had been binge drinking, passed out and was having difficulty breathing. Hospitalization was required.	7 (1 OFF CAMPUS)
DOMESTIC CONFLICTS We can provide a great deal of assistance to students, faculty, and staff who are in abusive or violent relationships. Domestic violence is not just a personal issue. It is a societal issue that the University will help to address.	36
NOISE Most noise complaints in the residence halls are handled by Residential Living staff. Police officers become involved when the staff finds that students are uncooperative or combative.	18
MISSING PERSONS When students do not call home as expected, parents become concerned. When roommates and friends do not show up as expected, we receive calls to help find them. We treat every such report as a valid missing person report until the student is located. By the way, all were located and were fine. Officers asked them to call the concerned parent or friend.	23
EMOTIONALLY DISTURBED SUBJECTS Since police officers are on duty 24-7, we serve as crisis counselors for students, employees, and visitors who are suffering from emotional distress. We try to help them with their immediate problems and suggest follow-up remedies. We summon professional counselors when necessary or upon request.	24
IMPOUNDED BICYCLES Bicycles left in stairwells or any area where they interfere with access or egress to a building are impounded. Bicycles abandoned on campus over the summer months are impounded. Bicycles found unsecured are also placed in storage for safekeeping until claimed by the owner.	22
PERSONS STUCK ON ELEVATOR CALL After normal business hours, the University Police help people who get stuck in elevators. The phones inside all elevators on campus ring in our communications center.	11
SUSPICIOUS VEHICLES CHECKED	9
SUSPICIOUS PERSONS CHECKED	46
ASSIST OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT We provide assistance to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office when deputies request backup on dangerous calls in the immediate vicinity of the campus. We do not answer calls off campus ourselves. We also provide assistance with off-campus investigations involving students when requested. We help the NC Highway Patrol with accident investigations near campus. We help all other law enforcement agencies that request assistance in matters involving students.	93
LOST AND FOUND 30 of these were Cat Cards that were cancelled by our dispatchers. If you lose any article on campus, check with the Traffic Office.	90
OTHER	198
SECURITY VIOLATIONS (8/1/02-6/30/03) Our Catamount Rangers and officers check buildings at night, lock doors they find unlocked, and report each incident.	942
JUMP STARTS/UNLOCK VEHICLES (8/1/02-6/30/03) We provide assistance to motorists who have dead batteries in their cars or who lock their keys in their cars. Generally, we do not provide any other type of mechanical assistance such as changing tires. Every student who drives a car to campus needs to know how to change a tire and we will help to teach you.	804
MONEY ESCORTS (8/1/02-6/30/03) We make bank deposits daily for several offices on campus.	255
MILES DRIVEN (8/1/02-6/30/03) This is the number of miles we drive patrolling the campus each year. A standard 12-hour shift for an officer logs from 20 to 80 miles depending on the number of requests for service that come in.	62,517
HOURS WORKED (8/1/02-6/30/03) This is the total number of hours worked by our patrol staff.	21,837
OTHER ACTIVITIES (8/1/02-6/30/03) These other activities include a wide variety of calls from removing bats from the residence halls to working special events to repainting parking spaces lines.	4,213

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