U Of A Safety Report Shows Increase In Campus Sexual Assaults

TUCSON, AZ — The University of Arizona's annual campus safety reported revealed an increase of domestic violence and rape in 2019.

While stalking and dating violence reports were on par with 2018 numbers, domestic violence and sexual assaults were up significantly. Domestic violence reports doubled, going from 16 in 2018 to 31 in 2019, while rape reports increased from 14 to 40.

University of Arizona Police Department Chief Brian Seastone encouraged students and staff to continue to report crimes and take advantage of campus safety resources.

"We understand these are challenging times for many and there may be apprehension about reporting incidents to us," Seastone said in a statement. "It is important for us to know when and where a crime occurs for a number of reasons. We want to ensure individuals receive help and support through our various resources available on and off campus and we can focus in on a particular area if we see a pattern of crime or concern."

The LiveSafe app lets anyone on or around campus report crimes via phone or text, and alert police to potentially dangerous situations. Students and staff members also have access to the Safe Ride service to get a ride home. They can also use the app to allow friends to track their movements online.

The report is a federal requirement under the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act, which requires all American universities that receive federal funds to publicize their policies surrounding campus law enforcement, crime reporting and statistics.

Elsewhere in the report, the Tucson campus experienced an uptick in reported burglaries, going from 21 in 2018 to 62 in 2019. Liquor law disciplinary actions also went up this last year.

The university also has a campus in Sierra Vista and its medical school in Phoenix, which reported its safety findings separately. Its Phoenix campus only reported one car theft. Sierra Vista saw no reported campus crimes in 2019.