Off-campus crime similar to on-campus
Theft is the most common crime in housing.
Published Oct. 9, 2009
Off-campus student housing crimes do not differ greatly from on-campus housing crimes, the MU and Columbia police departments said.
Valuables, such as purses and billfolds, are often stolen out of unlocked vehicles parked at off-campus student housing, CPD spokeswoman Jessie Haden said. Sometimes there is a concentration of burglaries at the buildings because students go out of town during school vacations, she said.
"We can't advise people enough not to leave their billfold or their purse in their car," Haden said.
In 2008, there were 15 drug law violation arrests, 10 liquor law violation arrests, six burglaries and two forcible sex offenses reported to MUPD from a non-campus building or property, according to the 2008 Campus Safety and Crime Report. The report does not include theft.
In 2007, nine drug law violation arrests, seven liquor law violation arrests, two burglaries and two motor vehicle thefts were reported to police from non-campus properties, according to the same report.
Officers at CPD and MUPD estimate theft to be the most common crime at off-campus student housing, as well as on-campus. There have been 16 incidents of theft reported on the MU campus so far this year, according to the Missouri Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
"We get reports of stealing daily and nightly," Haden said. "Most of those are things that we as a community consider minor."
DWIs are probably the second most common crime in off-campus housing, MUPD Capt. Scott Richardson said.
Crimes reported due to underage drinking or partying are not common either on- or off-campus, MUPD Capt. Brian Weimer said.
Most often the police are notified of partying by neighbors annoyed by the noise, Haden said.
Buildings leased by MU, such as Campus View Apartments, are under the jurisdiction of MUPD even if they are off-campus. Student housing not affiliated with the university, such as The Reserve, are under CPD jurisdiction. Fraternity and sorority houses are under CPD jurisdiction because they are privately owned.
MUPD and CPD often work together for special events such as traffic control for football games, DWI checkpoints and sobriety checkpoints, Haden said. The two departments do not typically work together for routine calls.
Columbia is creating a new unit called the Neighborhood Services Unit, which will include the law, health and planning departments, CPD Officer Tim Thomason said. The unit will allow employees of different departments to work together on issues that affect more than one department, Haden said.
Thomason is the liaison between police, landlords and tenants as the coordinator of the CPD's Crime-Free Multi-Housing Program. The CFMH works to prevent crime at rental properties by educating landlords on issues such as leases, tenant screening, locks, lighting and landscaping.
CPD also tries to stop students from becoming victims of crime through safety education on campus and at fraternity and sorority houses.
