MANOA (HawaiiNewsNow) -
A big jump in burglaries and assaults stand
out in the latest crime report from University of Hawaii, Manoa. The head of
security says better reporting and more cameras could put the campus on the
right track to help lower these numbers.
UH plans to add security cameras on top of 90
emergency call boxes around the Manoa campus in coming years. This year,
they will start off with ten of the 78 emergency call boxes to have cameras
installed that are already present on campus.
The new crime numbers in the latest report,
suggest there will be plenty to catch.
Since 2009 there's been a steady increase in
sex offenses, burglary, robbery, aggravated assault, as well as, drug and
alcohol related violations.
The school says in 2011 there were 12
forcible sex offenses on campus in student housing while there was only one
reported in 2009. There was also 16 aggravated assaults, which is up from
4 in 2009. There was a drastic jump in burglaries with 64 compared to 48
the year before.
"My bike actually got stolen, two weeks
after I bought it," said Xenia Suworowa, UH sophomore.
"I've gotten about three things stolen,
my Ipod, my skateboard, and my calculator," said Blakelyn Birks, UH
junior.
"I reported it, but even the police said
there was a low chance of getting it back," said Suworowa.
There's also been a staggering rise in drug
and liquor violations, but that's tied to a change in the way the school
records those incidents. Instead of counting a drinking party as one violation,
the university now counts every person caught at the party.
"It could be a party of 30 people and
then in that case that number would be 30 instead of just one," said Wayne
Ogino, UH Chief Campus Security.
Ogino says not all crimes have gone up. In
fact, arson, vehicle thefts, and weapon possessions have all dropped.
UH security is using this report to direct
them where to patrol.
"It identifies area of concern, so if we
notice a lot of activity or an increase in activity, we put more security
patrols on it," Ogino said.
Students say despite the crime trends, the
sense of community at this open campus gives them peace of mind.
"I feel very safe here. Hawaii is just
like a little community, it is family to me; so I don't feel as worried walking
around," said Alayna Mcbride, UH senior.
"Security really is everyone's
business," Ogino said. "We need people to be alert and report things
right away."
And for some students, they think putting a
lock on valuables will help prevent some of these thefts or access to items.
"I keep myself secure, by putting my
locks on my laptop and phone," said Birks.
Ogino says that knowing UH Manoa is an open
campus, students need to be aware that crime is just part of life at the
university and all universities and that is why it is important to take action
and report them accordingly.
Here is the full report:
<http://www.hawaii.edu/security/annual_report12.pdf>
Copyright 2012 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
