Josh Rabe
Daily Staff Writer
Theft on the OU campus has almost doubled in the past three years, according to the 2003 Sooner Safety Report, which was released to the public at the end of last week.
According to the report, 84 burglaries were reported in 2002, up from 47 in 2000.
"One of the telltale signs for an increase in burglary is an increase in property on campus," Robinson said. "There is more property like electronics on campus that is appealing to campus outsiders who prey on students."
Thieves seem to be moving away from stealing items like textbooks and book bags and are concentrating on easy cash items like laptop computers and cellular phones, Robinson said.
"We constantly try to tell our community you can't leave that laptop alone for two minutes, that cell phone, that digital camera," Robinson said. "It's easy prey."
Larry Parish, University College sophomore, said most of the residence-hall thefts he has heard of involved small electronics such as cellular phones and Sony PlayStation games.
Williams has only been on campus since August, but is already taking measures to prevent someone from stealing his property.
Williams said he never leaves his cellular phone or laptop computer unattended. He also locks his truck whenever he parks and keeps his bicycle locked to a rack.
As long as he makes it difficult for a thief to get to his possessions, Williams said he is confident he will not become a target.
"If you take advantage of all the services available on campus, it is a pretty safe place," Williams said.
The report, which lists 14 categories of offenses that occurred on campus during 2002, also indicated a drop in violent offenses from 2001.
The drop in violent crime is directly related to the way the OU community has become better educated about using alcohol responsibly, not necessarily because of police efforts, Robinson said.
The university is required to publish the report each year by Oct. 1 under the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. The act, named for a Lehigh University freshman who was assaulted and murdered in her residence hall in 1986, requires all universities to disclose a variety of information including campus law enforcement policies, procedures and crime statistics.
The report also includes information about crime prevention programs like Operation ID, which allows students to tag valuable belongings with an identifying label that makes it easier for police to track and recover stolen belongings.
Other information in the report includes sexual assault education and prevention, personal safety tips, campus disciplinary procedures and substance abuse education programs.
The 2003 Sooner Safety Report is now available online at www.ou.edu/oupd or in print at the OUDPS building, the Office of Student Affairs and other locations across campus.
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