Syracuse University’s 2015 security report shows increased number of rape cases, drug and liquor law violations
The number of rape cases reported on Syracuse University’s main campus in 2015 increased to eight cases from three in 2014, according to its annual security report.
The report, released by the Department of Public Safety on Friday, specified six out of the eight cases took place at residence halls on the SU campus. In addition, stalking cases reported went up to 10 in 2015 from just one in 2014.
Colleges and universities in the United States that receive federal money are mandated to publish a security report by Oct. 1 every year under the Jeanne Clery Act. The government mandate requires three years of statistics and other security information to be included in a report.
The security report collects data on crimes that occurred on the SU campus and properties owned by the university, as well as crime on nearby streets and sidewalks. It also includes an extensive description of SU’s security policies.
In 2015, United States Vice President Joe Biden visited SU to bring attention to the issue of sexual and relationship violence on college campuses as part of the national “It’s On Us” campaign.
SU is at the center of controversy for the handling of a sexual assault case as the U.S. Department of Education launched a federal investigation in June after a former student filed a Title IX complaint. A report subsequently emerged that the Chancellor’s Task Force on Sexual and Relationship Violence was not informed of the investigation before The Daily Orange published the story.
Meanwhile, the number of disciplinary actions and referrals for liquor and drug law violations on campus has gone up in 2015 after seeing a significant decrease in the previous year. For liquor law violations, there were 1,020 cases of referrals and disciplinary actions in 2015, up from 900 in 2014 — about a 13.3 percent increase. Drug-related referrals and disciplinary actions climbed up by almost 43 percent from 87 cases in 2014 to 124 cases in 2015.