The Boston University Police Department says the whys behind fluctuating crime rates in its annual statistics report can be hard to pin down.

Safety

Several Types of Campus Crime Fell at BU Last Year

University releases annual mandated Clery Act crime report

Reported stalkings on the Charles River Campus plunged by three-quarters last year compared to 2021, the University’s annual security report says. It also shows aggravated assaults on the Medical Campus were halved and motor vehicle thefts down by two-thirds.

Stalkings fell from 17 in 2021 to just 3 last year on the CRC. On the Medical Campus, there were a dozen assaults—down from 23 the previous year—and 3 vehicle thefts, down from 9. 

Among crimes that were up, assaults on the CRC tripled, to six from two in 2021, according to the report, which includes Fenway Campus crimes in the CRC’s statistics.

Such year-to-year snapshots make it difficult to discern reasons for the changes, says Robert Lowe, chief of the Boston University Police Department (BUPD).

“When our leadership team reviewed the crime statistics, we did not identify unusual crime patterns or trends,” he says. “Generally, it can be challenging to identify a specific factor that causes certain crime categories to fluctuate. In many cases, there can be multiple factors that influence patterns and trends. 

“The season of the year can create an increase in crime, particularly theft. As the holiday season approaches, we typically experience an increase in package thefts on campus. In response, we will send reminders to our community on best ways to secure property. Additionally, we have officers visible throughout the community as a preventative strategy.”

Some crimes also fell during the COVID-19 pandemic, which emptied BU’s campuses when students temporarily shifted to remote learning. 

“Boston University is a safe campus,” Lowe adds, “but it is important to be aware of your surroundings. The Safety Awareness for Everyone [SAFE] initiative offers personal safety recommendations, and we encourage everyone to become familiar with this resource.” (SAFE features a 12-minute video for the general public and prospective students and a 30- to 40-minute interactive training for BU students, faculty, and staff.)

The annual report is required of universities under the federal Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. 

With theft an endemic problem on campus, the report offers these prevention tips:

• Never leave your laptop, pocketbook, or backpack unattended, even for a minute.
  
• If you must leave your property behind, ask a trusted friend to watch it.
  
• Never allow yourself to be lured away from your property by a stranger.

And these “five most important things” to avoid becoming a crime victim:

• Lock your room door when you are asleep or out of the room, even for a few minutes.
  
• Do not leave personal property unattended anywhere.
  
• Always be aware of your surroundings, whether on or off campus.
  
• Report suspicious persons to the Boston University Police Department. Do not assume they are okay; trust your instinct.
  
• Be clearheaded—no drugs, no alcohol.

The annual security summary covers crimes reported to the BU Police Department on BU campuses, “as well as the University’s non-campus facilities and other Boston University educational programs located outside of the Boston area,” the report says. 

The report also tracks reported residential fires. There were 11 on the CRC and Fenway Campus last year, equal to the number in 2021. There were none on the Medical Campus, which, aside from one in 2021, has been fire-free since 2017.

The University voluntarily reports its crime indices to the FBI and to the Massachusetts Department of Public Safety, the report says.

Students who need help for stalking, domestic violence, or dating violence can contact the Sexual Assault Response & Prevention Center, 930 Commonwealth Ave., at 617-353-SARP (7277) or by email at sarp@bu.edu. All services are free and information is kept confidential. In urgent situations, students can also seek help at Student Health Services Behavioral Medicine, at 617-353-3569. University employees who experience stalking, domestic violence, and dating violence can contact the Faculty & Staff Assistance Office, at 617-353-5381 or by email at sao@bu.edu. Students and staff can call the Boston University Police Department, at 617-353-2121, or the Medical Campus Public Safety Department, at 617-358-4444.