Public Safety Annual Security Report: Everything You Need to Know

Photo by Lily Morgan

On Sept. 30, the Office of Public Safety released their Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, showing an overall increase in reported campus crime. Campus had fewer unwanted and false fire alarms as well as zero actual fire emergencies.

The report discloses crime and fire safety statistics from the past three calendar years (2021, 2022, 2023). It only includes crimes or fire incidents happening on campus and reported to Public Safety or the Elmhurst Police Department.

For the last three years, all reported crimes on campus have happened in campus housing. Offenses in 2023 include two incidents of aggravated assault; six sex offenses, including one case of rape; 13 cases of stalking, and six cases of dating violence.

Rape decreased from 2022, with five cases that year and one in 2023. All other statistics increased, including fondling-related sex offenses (from three to five).

There were three total arrests on campus in 2023, a slight decrease from five in 2022. Each arrest was for a separate incident: one liquor law violation, one drug law violation, and one weapons law violation.

Additionally, liquor, drug, and weapons law violations resulted in an increase in disciplinary referrals from the Office of Public Safety. In total, there were 45 liquor-related disciplinary referrals, 17 of which came from a single incident —a great increase from 2022’s 14 total incidents, but only nominally more than 2021’s 41.

Additionally, there were 18 referrals for drug law violations, a slight decrease from 2022’s 23 and a significant decrease from 2021’s 39.

There was one weapons law violation that resulted in a referral, mirroring 2021. There were zero reports in 2022.

In the last three years there have been no fire emergencies, injuries, or deaths on campus. In 2023 there was a slight decrease in unwanted or false fire alarms, from 36 to 30. There were 33 of these incidents in 2021.

False Alarms and Unwanted Alarms are listed as separate categories in the report. There were eight total false alarms and 22 unwanted alarms in 2023.

False alarms are malfunctions in the fire detection system triggering an alarm, or when the fire system is intentionally activated when there is no real danger. Unwanted alarms are the fire detection system properly functioning, but the ultimate cause of the alarm was false.

The report only specifically mentions residence halls and campus housing in its breakdown, with all non-residential buildings grouped into one category. Each individual alarm is also broken down with the ultimate cause and incident of the alarm.

The report also includes non-fire emergency alarms in their fire report section. For instance, Old Main had two “waterflow” alarms from a water pressure valve, while Irion Hall had a flood alarm from an overflowing toilet.

Public Safety’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is compiled annually by the department and is required by Oct. 1 as part of the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, known colloquially as the Clery Act.

Campus Security Authorities, which crimes can be reported to, include Public Safety staff, Student Affairs staff, Housing and Residence Life staff, Athletics staff, Faculty and Staff advisors, and Staff Supervisors. These individuals are required to report crimes they see or that are reported to them to the office of Public Safety.

Counselors are not considered Campus Security Authorities and are not obligated to report crimes and incidents, but are encouraged to so confidentially.