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Ohio State annual crime report shows increase in motor vehicle theft, decrease in rape reports

Most categories saw modest changes – going up or down slightly – but stayed far lower than the 2019 pre-COVID data.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio State University released its annual report of data for crimes that happened on or near the Columbus campus for 2021.

According to the release, most categories saw modest changes – going up or down slightly – but stayed far lower than the 2019 pre-COVID data.

The release of this information on Friday includes statistics from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2021 as part of compliance with the Clery Act.

The act requires higher learning institutions that receive federal funding to publish an annual security report by Oct. 1 each year.

This requirement includes incidents that happened on campus, in non-campus university buildings or property owned or controlled by Ohio State or its recognized students organizations and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to, and accessible from campus.

According to the statistics released by the university, campus crime report was close to 2020 but lower than it was in 2019:

  • Aggravated assault: Up from 9 to 11 (down from 22 in 2019)
  • Burglary: Up from 36 to 44 (down from 71 in 2019)
  • Stalking: Up from 57 to 68 (down from 91 in 2019)
  • Dating violence: Down from 37 to 34 (down from 64 in 2019)
  • Domestic violence: Up from 12 to 14 (down from 36 in 2019)

Motor vehicle theft saw a significant increase, following local and nation trends, up from nine to 29 reports, according to Ohio State. Robbery also saw an increase from four to eight.

However, rape reported decreased for the first time in four years from 134 to 94 in instances unrelated from the Dr. Richard Strauss investigation.

“We attribute most of the decrease in rape statistics to the good and thorough work of the Office of Institutional Equity in identifying additional methods for pinpointing the location of reported crimes,” said Christa Hribar, assistant compliance director and Clery Act coordinator for Ohio State. “Rape reports with unknown locations have decreased overall as more precise identification of location led to a decrease in Clery reportable statistics.”

Ohio State saw increase in fondling incidents on campus from 59 to 79. The university said this increase could be impacted by continued education about rape, fondling and other forms of sexual assault.

In addition to reporting crime statistics, Ohio State also highlighted the efforts to expand safety resources.

This includes President Kristina Johnson’s announcement last year of an additional $2 million a year over the next decade to enhance safety and security on and around campus. This additional money brings the total campus public safety budget to $35 million annually.

“The university works hard to support a safe and inclusive environment,” said Chief Kimberly Spears-McNatt of The Ohio State University Police Division (OSUPD). “We are committed to enhancing safety for all Buckeyes through a combination of police and non-sworn security patrols, lighting, cameras, transportation, educational resources and more.”

Ohio State has also implanted all recommendations from its Task Force on Community Safety and Well-Being, which launched in October 2020. These new or expanded resources include:

  • Added police and security patrols in the off-campus area, including OSUPD, Columbus Division of Police (CPD) and non-sworn security known as Buckeye Block Watch.
  • More recently, in July 2022, an expansion of a joint patrol program that partners three full-time OSUPD officers with CPD to patrol the off-campus areas where many students live.
  • Installation of permanent LED lights in 20 areas of the University District in collaboration with the city of Columbus.
  • Expanded surveillance coverage in the off-campus neighborhoods through a combination of permanent and mobile camera units.
  • Installation of 63 License Plate Reader (LPR) cameras, throughout the University District and on campus, to assist in law enforcement investigations.
  • Installation of surveillance cameras at all campus parking garages, expanding on the more than 4,000 cameras already in place on the Columbus campus.
  • Expanded discounted ridesharing hours. Lyft Ride Smart at Ohio State now runs from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. and offers service to the Short North area.
  • Adding the Stay Safe, Buckeyes online safety class to an online student checklist. The class covers topics such as crime prevention, crime reporting, when and how the university issues crime alerts, self-defense, mental health and more.
  • Creation and promotion beginning in March 2022 of an Off-Campus Community Crime Map.

To view the report, click here.

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