By Bryon Wells
Arizona Daily Wildcat
May 5, 1998

Crime statistics reflect tougher enforcement

An increase in drug and alcohol arrests on college campuses in the last five years can be attributed to tougher law enforcement instead of rising drug abuse, according to a national survey released Saturday.

A Chronicle of Higher Education survey indicated that, since 1992, alcohol arrests rose 10 percent and drug arrests increased 5 percent at the 487 colleges and universities included in the study.

Arizona State University in Tempe ranked third highest in the survey, with 117 drug-related arrests in 1996. The survey is based on crime statistics which educational institutions are required to disclose to the U.S. Department of Education.

The University of Arizona reported 81 drug arrests in 1997, down from 176 in 1995, 128 in 1994 and 107 in 1993.

Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff reported 102 drug arrests in 1996, down by 31 arrests from the prior year.

UA Chief of Police Harry Hueston II said arrest statistics covering a two or three-year period are not an effective gauge to make any long-term conclusions about drug trends.

He said, however, that an increase in reporting drug use can be attributed to Residence Life education programs.

University police responded to 154 reports of drug use in 1997, up 63 percent from the 94 cases reported in 1996.

Hueston said resident assistants are schooled in drug identification, particularly for what he said was the "choice drug" on campus - marijuana.

"We let them see what it looks like. You know, this is what a bud looks like, this is what chopped up stuff looks like," he said.

With the education programs, which Hueston said are not limited to the topic of drugs, university police have noticed an increase in resident assistants reporting drug use in the dorms.

"That doesn't mean that the crime hasn't always been there, it's just now they know how to identify it and report it," Hueston said.

The UA's latest crime statistics also show a decrease in aggravated assault incidents. Only four such cases were reported in 1997, down from seven in 1996 and 11 in 1995.

But reports of sexual assault jumped from zero in 1996 to five in 1997, although the numbers are fairly consistent with the four cases reported in 1995, six in 1994 and five sexual assaults reported in 1993.

Alcohol-related crimes were consistent in the last two years, with 223 incidents reported in 1996 and 225 reported in 1997 - a decline from the 344 alcohol related crimes reported in 1995.

Reports of bike theft have steadily climbed from 267 in 1995 to 390 last year, although they are down from earlier this decade, when there were 592 in 1992 and 456 in 1993.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Reported Crimes at the University of Arizona

			1997	1996	1995	1994	1993	1992   

Murder			0	0	0	0	0	0       
Sexual Assault		5	0	4	6	5	1
Attempted Sexl. Assault 1	0	3	0	0	0
Aggravated Assault	4	7	11	7	11	3
Assault 		37	56	56	42	48	41
Robbery			4	3	3	3	4	6
Arson			4	10	7	5	14	5
Burglary		137	157	164	103	144	112
Theft 			572	595	563	668	567	619
Bike Theft		390	308	267	399	456	592
Auto Theft		44	46	79	66	36      44
Criminal Damage		282	248	238	254	303     233
Drug Violations		154	94	149	104	82	61
Liquor Violations	225	223	344	262	260	276
DUI			112	119	162	103	75	83
Weapon Violations	18	10	10	5	15	7
Hate Crimes 		0	0	0	1	2	0          

Source: University police statistics