Towson University once again recorded the lowest number of part I crimes per capita in the University System of Maryland (USM).
Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) statistics released last month for all USM schools rank TU as the safest in the state, with 5.24 part I crimes per 1,000 students in 2013. The University of Maryland College Park and Salisbury University had 12.99 and 9.83 part I crimes per 1,000 students, respectively.
TU has had the lowest number of part I crimes per capita in the USM for the past six years.
“I applaud our campus community for being smart about personal safety,” said TU Police Chief Bernard Gerst. “By signing up for crime alerts, watching the emergency preparedness video and following common-sense crime prevention tactics like keeping valuables hidden in public, students, faculty and staff can significantly reduce the opportunities for crime on campus and beyond.”
The university had one violent crime and 117 property crimes, for a total of 118 part I crimes, in 2013—the lowest number in nearly two decades. The 2013 statistics mark a 14 percent reduction in part I crimes from 2012, despite significant enrollment increases.
Part I crimes are criminal offenses that universities are required to track and report. They range from basic property crimes such as theft to violent crimes including robbery, assault and rape. The full UCR report is available on the TUPD website.
