Michelle Schraudner
Life Editor
Emergency response and evacuation exercises increased at Idaho State University last year while criminal offenses and arrests decreased from the previous year.
The university’s annual report detailing crime and safety rates on campus was recently released containing statistics from 2012. The Jeanne Clery Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is mandated of all colleges and universities that receive federal financial aid.
Public Safety Director Stephen Chatterton said the in-depth information is important for students and families to have. Information in the report includes alcohol, drug and weapons arrests and referrals, and criminal offenses such as sexual assault, robbery, burglary and homicide.
Many of these figures remain at zero for ISU but the university releases the numbers each year regardless.
“It’s the student body that really makes the campus safe,” said Chatterton. “If there’s something suspicious, people don’t hesitate to call us. We appreciate that. It gives us a jump-start on any misbehavior that could be developing around the dorms or parking lots, and around the campus common areas.”
For the first time in recent years, zero sex offenses were reported on ISU’s Pocatello campus. This is in contrast to the five forcible sex offenses reported in 2010.
Chatterton said increased awareness of what constitutes sexual assault and how to prevent it has likely contributed to the decrease. He credits programs like Green Dot Training, taught by ISU’s Gender Resource Center.
“The Green Dot Program, as it becomes more widely used on campus, will help students empower themselves to know that they can make a difference and that they can say something,” said Chatterton. “It’s the old ‘If you see something, say something.’”
An eight-week rape aggression defense course, known as R.A.D., is also taught each semester.
Clery Reports in future years, beginning in the report with statistics from 2014, will also include information about dating violence, said Chatterton.
The school’s annual report includes information from the previous three years. The recent report has information dating back to 2010.
One increase was motor vehicle theft. While none were reported in the two years prior, three instances of the crime were recorded in 2012.
Public safety works with housing officials to do presentations in residence halls to teach students how to protect themselves. The interaction also gives students a chance to build a friendly relationship with public safety officers, making them less afraid to call them or wave an officer over if a student sees suspicious activity on campus, Chatterton said.
For substance abuse reports on campus, students who are first-time offenders are often not given citations by city police. Instead, they are referred to Student Affairs, because they are in violation of the campus honor code.
Second offenders, or first offenders who are belligerent or dishonest, are also referred to Student Affairs but will likely get a citation along with disciplinary action on campus.
Most of the referrals were issued in on-campus residential facilities.
Substance abuse arrests and referrals were the highest numbers reported on campus last year. A total of 30 alcohol referrals and 14 drug referrals were issued.
In comparison, Boise State University issued 388 alcohol referrals and 82 drug referrals.
ISU is perennially named one of the safest campuses in the country by Collegesafe website. The most recent rankings, released in the spring, placed the university fifth on the list.
Chatterton credits Idaho State’s students with keeping the school a safe place to live and learn.
“We have a unique student body, I think. They come to us interested in learning and have a strong interest in personal safety,” he said.
