Recapping spring semester off-campus crime

Justina Sung
Wed, 21 Jun 2023 23:32:30 +0000
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During the 2022-2023 school year, there were over 500 crimes committed within the one mile radius of Ohio State’s campus. Photo via Ohio State’s Community Crime Map.

Crime’s on the mind — and on the map for those living off campus.?

From Jan. 1 to May 2, there were over 600 crimes recorded in the off-campus area within one mile of the Ohio Union, according to Ohio State’s Community Crime Map. Though this is an 18 percent decrease from the fall semester, theft and burglary remained the top two crimes through both periods of time.

The map, a tool introduced last March in conjunction with the Columbus Division of Police, replaced Neighborhood Safety Notice emails and allows the Ohio State community to see what crimes were committed within certain time periods.

Reports from the spring semester show that primary crimes involve theft and burglary, especially in homes and cars, though violent or sexual crimes such as assault, robbery and public indecency were reported.

More specifically, theft consisted of both “the unlawful removal of property,” as defined by the Office for Victims of Crime, and “the theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle,” a term provided by the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting website. About half of the thefts reported in the spring were from motor vehicles.

Like theft, burglary also featured two different types: about 70 percent from motor vehicles and the other 30 percent within residential or commercial property. Burglary is defined by the Office for Victims of Crime as the “unlawful entry into almost any structure with the intent to commit a crime inside.”

Other repeated crimes reported include vandalism, traffic incidents and forgery in the same area.?

For some serious crimes that may cause an immediate threat to the community on or adjacent to campus, Ohio State issues Buckeye Alerts. These are sent out when immediate action must be taken to remain safe, and students with a cell phone number on file via BuckeyeLink or faculty and staff with one on file via Work Day are automatically registered. Others must register online. This is a “multi-modal, emergency notification system that includes nearly two dozen communication methods,” according to the university’s website.?

In the spring semester, though many Buckeye Alert tests and updates about safety and weather events were sent out, only two involved serious threats related to a shooting on North High Street in April.?

The alerts are still sent throughout the summer, as the university recently erroneously issued an alert about an active attacker on campus.?

University spokesperson Dan Hedman said in an email that “safety is [Ohio State’s] top priority,” and Ohio State has “worked with the city to enhance off-campus lighting, add cameras and additional patrols in the off-campus area.”

Hedman also advised those on or near campus to be sure to “lock their doors and windows and report suspicious activity or crime to the appropriate law enforcement agency.”

This story was updated at 1 p.m. to more accurately reflect Buckeye Alerts.?