TUCSON, Ariz. — The University of Arizona Police Department releasing its annual campus crime report, which includes years 2016 to 2018.
Looking at campus hate crimes, there were four reported in 2018. UAPD Chief Brian Seastone explained the reports included an intimidation letter sent to faculty due to their religion, a racial slur written on a whiteboard, a swastika carved in a mirror, and a student being intimidated for not speaking English.
"For the most part they are passive kind of ways where, as you said, etchings into a mirror or writing things like swastika on white boards and things like that. I think we have to be honest about what's happening in our national climate and we will see probably a tremendous increase in our numbers next year," said Kendal Washington White, UA's Dean of Students.
The most recent hate crime where two students accused of physically and verbally assaulting a black student on campus will be a count to next year's report.
The report also shows sexual offenses went down overall; from 22 reported rapes in 2017 to 14 in 2018. The reported number of fondlings went up by one, from three to four.
"Our sexual assaults are primarily incidents that occur as a result of alcohol or drugs by one or both parties. They are usually the individuals are known to each other. It is not an of campus individual who is coming on stalking our campus or creating these crimes," said Seastone.
Auto thefts more than doubled on the main campus from 2017 to 2018.
"We've seen an increase this year over the previous couple of years by almost double. And that's concerning to us but its also a trend we're seeing at a local level in Pima County as well," said Seastone.
This is an an early release of the report to the media. The public will have full access to the report on October 1.
