Increases in sex offenses and drug and liquor law violations, as well as a decrease in burglaries, were a few among several key findings in the University’s 2012 “Annual Security Report,” according to a University-wide email sent to students Monday.

The University publishes the report in accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, as well as the Higher Education Opportunity Act, according to the University-wide email. The report, available online, provides crime and fire statistics each year from 2009-2011 as well as safety advice and Emory’s security policies.

Emory’s campus saw increases in several categories in 2011: forcible and non-forcible sex offenses, robbery, drug law violations, arrests and arson. The University, meanwhile, saw decreases in the numbers of robberies, aggravated assault, burglaries, motor vehicle theft and arrests due to possession of illegal weapons.

Drug law arrests rose to nine this year from seven last year, and the drug law violation disciplinary referrals rose to 66 from 46. While there have been no liquor law arrests in the past two years, the number of liquor law violation disciplinary referrals rose to 177 from 169.

The report states that Oxford College also saw increases in liquor law violations. The number of drug law violation disciplinary referrals rose 19 percent, from four referrals to 21. Liquor law violation disciplinary referrals also increased to 128 in 2011 from 99 the year before.

The number of forcible sex offenses rose to 12 in 2011 from 10 in 2010, while non-forcible offenses rose to one from none. The most recently reported case of sexual assault was reported anonymously on Sept. 28. The incident occurred in a residence hall on campus, according to the Wheel‘s Oct. 2 crime report.

Additionally, a female Emory student reported this past spring that she was the victim of a sexual assault on Eagle Row between 8 p.m. March 28 and 7:30 a.m. March 29, according to an April 3 Wheel article.

Since the student reported the incident, five more students came forward this past spring to report instances of sexual assault to the Emory Police Department (EPD), the Wheel reported on April 10.

“An increase in reports does not mean an increase in incidents, so an increase in these numbers indicates an increase in students feeling safe to disclose and reach out for help,” Lauren Bernstein, director of Emory’s Respect Program, wrote in an email to the Wheel. “As we continue to build a community that is talking about these issues, working to end violence, and supporting survivors, the numbers will go up for a while.”

Robberies dropped from two reported incidents in 2010 to one in 2010, while burglaries dropped to six from 14.

The number of motor vehicle thefts dropped to 10 in 2011 from 11 in the previous year, following a drastic decrease from the 19 thefts reported the prior year.

Six of the 2011 motor vehicle thefts were of University-owned golf carts, and last year’s crime report reported the same number of golf cart thefts on campus.

All golf carts were recovered in both years.

There have been no hate crimes reported on either Emory’s campus or on Oxford’s campus in the past three years, according to the 2012 crime report.

– By Jordan Friedman

If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual assault, you have support at Emory. Please contact Lauren (LB) Bernstein in the Respect Program at 404.727.1514 or visit www.bewellexcel.org/respect for more information.

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The Emory Wheel was founded in 1919 and is currently the only independent, student-run newspaper of Emory University. The Wheel publishes weekly on Wednesdays during the academic year, except during University holidays and scheduled publication intermissions.

The Wheel is financially and editorially independent from the University. All of its content is generated by the Wheel’s more than 100 student staff members and contributing writers, and its printing costs are covered by profits from self-generated advertising sales.