WILMINGTON — The UNCW annual security report, comprising 2023 crime data, has been released, showing major crimes are on the rise at the university.
In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Police and Campus Crime Statistics Act, UNCW releases a report every October detailing the previous year’s safety efforts and crime statistics. The data is compared to the previous two years concerning crimes that occurred on campus, in off-campus property owned or controlled by UNCW, and on public property immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus.
“Nothing is more important to UNCW’s campus community than the safety of our students, faculty and staff,” UNCW spokesperson Sydney Bouchelle said. “Preparing and sharing the annual security report offers us an opportunity to identify trends and keep our community informed about the programs, services, policies and procedures that support campus security.”
Compared to previous years, 2023’s on-campus crime rose in several areas — aggravated assault from one to three incidents, dating violence from nine to 11 incidents, and stalking from six to 12 incidents.
UNCW spokesperson Sydney Bouchelle described the increases as “slight” and said the university attributes them to enhanced policing practices and improved reporting by campus support services.
Data shows stalking is a major threat to 18-to-24-year-olds, an age with the highest rates of stalking. Up to 39% of college students report being stalked since entering college, but 43% of stalking victims who meet the legal criteria of stalking do not identify their experience as such.
Reports of rape, which have risen at UNCW in the last few years, did fall from 16 to 12.
“A number of programs across campus emphasize safety education for students, including rape, dating violence and stalking awareness,” Bouchelle said. “The UNCW Police Department and the CARE resource center both promote safety information about the Red Zone, which is the period between Move-In and Thanksgiving when campuses nationally report the highest numbers of potential sexual assaults.”
The “red zone” is the period of time from the beginning of fall semester to Thanksgiving break when sexual assaults on U.S. college campuses spike. Freshman females are considered the most vulnerable.
According to RAINN, More than 50% of college sexual assaults occur in either August, September, October, or November.
Rape, dating violence, stalking incidents are not neccessarily tied to a police report. The security report pulls data from sources other than the police department — including the CARE resource center, the Title IX office and counseling services — and therefore, not every case has a police investigation associated with it.
The report’s data tallies allegations, not charges or other enforcement actions; Bouchelle said a public records request would be needed for more details on each case.
UNCW remains in line with other UNC System institutions of similar populations. With 17,843 students, UNCW is closest in enrollment to UNC Greensboro and Appalachian State, with 19,653 and 21,253 students respectively.
The UNCW Board of Trustees will discuss the results of the security report at its next meeting on Oct. 25 and Oct. 26.
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