Saint Louis University is just one of Missouri’s many “urban universities.” Other schools that fall under this classification are University of Missouri Kansas City, Rockhurst and Washington University. Of these, SLU often gets the credit for being in the worst neighborhood of the four. So bad, in fact, that two years ago the school was slammed by APB news service, which ranked SLU as one of the 25 most dangerous schools in America.
Nevertheless, recent campus crime statistics suggest something different. Of the five major universities in the state of Missouri (SLU, Washington University, University of Missouri Columbia, Southwest Missouri State University and University of Missouri St. Louis), SLU had the lowest amount of crimes reported for the year 2000.
The highest was Wash U., 92, followed by SMS, 72, then Mizzou, 65, UMSL, 45, finally SLU with 28.
Why such low numbers at SLU, while its neighbor-just two miles away-has more than three times as much? Director of Public safety, Jack Titone, credits it to a tight relationship between students and staff with DPS. “We have developed a relationship with students,” said Titone, “It’s like having 12,000 eyes and ears.”
These numbers have changed dramatically for the University over the past eight years, when Titone first arrived in ’93. “We had 90 crimes when I came here,” said Titone.
One statistic, which stands out, is the 14 burglaries that took place on campus last year. Titone accredits this to students not being aware enough, and leaving doors open at residence halls while leaving for class or heading to the bathroom. DPS has been making an effort over the past few years to keep students aware that theft can occur, through a series of fliers put up throughout the residence halls. This category was on the rise over the past three years, from five in `98, 11 in `99 and 14 in 2000.
Car theft was down over the past three years from eight in `98, seven in `99, and five in 2000. This number will have gone up in the 2001 statistics. Thus far, there have been seven auto thefts reported this year. This is due, however, to new guide-lines regarding the Jeanne Clery Act, which now requires schools to report crimes which occur on contiguous boundaries, essentially meaning that schools now have to report crimes that occur across the street from campus.
“For example,” said Titone, “If a car is stolen in front of the Lindell Towers, we have to report that.”
Liquor arrests have not been made over the last three years either, but this does not mean that no violations have been made. These are marked as “referrals” on the crime report. This means that instead of arresting a student and handing them over to the city or state, SLU handles the violation in a more hands-on fashion.
DPS is continuing to work on improving crime prevention at SLU. There are currently 124 officers on staff, and two who live in the residence halls. These two officers reside in Fusz Hall and work with students at community meetings. DPS also offers students shuttle and escort services across campus. “We now have a phone down at the Metrolink station,” said Titone, “it is in the sight of cameras, and students can now call for an escort.”
DPS is also working with the SGA to improve student safety. Titone has recently spoken with Senator Mike Rozier to increase safety from Reinert Hall to the campus.
The Jeanne Clery Act requires all colleges to provide a report, which is open to the public, of the crimes that occurred on campus. Originally called the Campus Security Act, it requires schools to report crimes in four areas: crimes which take place on university property, all type one crimes, off-campus buildings and all incidents that occur at the contiguous boundaries of the school.
The act is named after a girl at Leigh University, who in 1986 was raped and killed by another student she did not know, while in her dorm room.
Upon further research by her parents, it was found that the school had a high crime rate, and if her parents had known this they would not have allowed their child to attend.
