Disciplinary referrals and arrests for alcohol violations have seen a significant decline at Chico State while drug arrests have increased, according to an annual crime report released by the University Police Department.
The 2013 Annual Security Report, compiled in accordance with the Clery Act, was released on Oct. 1. The report details crime statistics gathered by University police from 2010-2012.
Referrals for liquor law violations saw a 36 percent decrease in 2012, dropping from 111 referrals in 2011 to 71 referrals last year. Four arrests for alcohol violations were made last year, down from 11 in 2011.
University police have been noticing fewer minors in possession of alcohol as well as open container violations, said Lt. Corinne Beck of University Police Department. Beck said she hopes that programs like Freshman Safe Start have helped to curb in citations and arrests.
“We’ve been really trying to educate students,” Beck said. “Hopefully some of that education has paid off.”
The report also indicates that drug violations have steadily increased, with 23 arrests being made in 2012, up from 7 in 2011.
“We’re seeing more meth and more heroine,” Beck said, also including marijuana and prescription drugs like Adderall as increasing in prevalence.
Beck wasn’t able to offer a substantiated cause for the increase. She did speculate that the trend could be a reflection of a greater societal drug “pandemic”.
“It’s definitely an area we’re going to be looking at,” Beck said. “(We’ll be looking at) what strategies are working elsewhere and what we could apply at Chico to hopefully reduce that trend for next year.”
To view the 2013 Annual Security Report, click on this URL:
http://www.csuchico.edu/up/
Mozes Zarate can be reached at [email protected] or @mzarate139 on Twitter.
