DPS releases annual Clery report for crime and safety


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Campus crime in 2014 declined slightly from previous years according to the Annual Security and Fire Safety report released Wednesday by the Department of Public Safety,  which contained crime data from both USC campuses for the past three years.

According to the report, there were 31 sex offenses reported on or around the University Park Campus in 2014 including 18 cases of rape and 13 cases of nonconsensual fondling, down from 33 cases reported in 2013. Crimes reported under the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, including stalking and domestic violence, fell from 26 reports in 2013 to 17 last year.

Vice President for Student Affairs Ainsley Carry said that since the University has implemented policies to make sexual assault reporting easier for students, he expected the number of reported assaults to increase before decreasing.

“We want people to feel comfortable coming forward to report,” Carry said. “I hope that number reflects more people coming forward to report and fewer incidents of sexual assault.”

Arrests for liquor law violations fell by half, from 15 reports in 2013 to seven in 2014. Alcohol related disciplinary referrals remained relatively constant with 555 reports in 2014, down from 563 the previous year.

The report also showed a marked decline in drug violations, both arrests and disciplinary violations. There were 41 disciplinary violations for drug violations in 2014, down from 114 in 2013. The number of drug related arrests went from 40 to 18 over the same period.

Carry said there was no change in University policy that may have contributed to the decrease in drug violations.

Robberies declined from 17 cases in 2013 to 11 in 2014 while aggravated assaults increased from eight to 10. Grand theft auto instances fell sharply from 21 reports to six.

The report is published annually to comply with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, which requires colleges and universities that receive federal aid to report campus crime data.