February 14, 2002
UW crime up, but still lower than peak
University Week Staff Report
The latest crime data from the UW Police Department show an 8 percent increase in reported crimes for 2001.
The statistics, released earlier this month, indicate there were 958 crimes reported on campus in 2001, up from 888 in 2000. That’s still well below the 1,086 crimes reported in 1998 — the high-water mark for crime on campus during the last 10 years. There was a decrease in the number of simple assaults (38, down from 63 in 2000) and in the value of stolen property ($697,000 down from $784,000).
Perhaps the most noteworthy increase was in motor vehicle thefts. There were 54 reported thefts or attempted thefts in 2001, compared to 41 in 2000. In terms of actual motor vehicle thefts there was a more modest increase, from 35 in 2000 to 38 in 2001.
“The thing to remember is that this is a very safe community, but that property is easy to take,” said Annette Spicuzza, assistant police chief. “We call them crimes of convenience. If it’s convenient, it will be taken.”
Spicuzza recommends things like always locking cars, buying a car alarm or “The Club,” the popular security device that locks a car’s steering wheel in place. She also recommends registering bikes and not leaving things like backpacks and laptop computers lying free in public places.
