DPS releases annual security and fire report

The Dept. of Public Safety released the Annual Security and Fire Report on Tuesday, which contained crime statistics for the past three years and outlined crime and safety policies for all USC campuses.

Colleges and universities that participate in federal aid programs are required to publish crime reports under the Clery Act of 1990.

The data indicates a decline in burglaries and robberies between 2011 and 2013 but shows an increase in forcible sexual assaults over the same period. Burglaries fell from 83 cases in 2011 to 28 in 2013 and robberies dropped from 34 cases to 17. Forcible sexual offenses increased from 24 cases to 33 over the same period. Disciplinary referrals for liquor law violations more than doubled from 200 cases in 2011 to 563 cases in 2013.

Vice Provost for Student Affairs Ainsley Carry said that the increase in reported sexual offenses is expected as the university has taken steps to make the process of reporting such crimes easier and more accessible.

“We’ve created a culture and environment where people should feel safe reporting [sexual assault],” Carry said. “We know that our numbers should increase.”

Carry said that he expects the numbers to decrease as the university continues implementing cultural and educational programs aimed at reducing sexual violence on campus.

The report breaks down the crime statistics for the University Park campus into four geographic zones: on-campus, student housing, public property and non-campus. Public property includes streets, sidewalks and parking facilities, while non-campus includes off-campus student housing and other university buildings outside campus boundaries. Crimes reported directly to LAPD are also included in a separate category.