Crime levels at MSU remained consistent with recent years in 2009, according to a report released Friday by the MSU police.
At the same time, the East Lansing Police Department’s annual crime report shows an overall decrease in crime during the past decade, particularly in the past three years.
The MSU Annual Security and Fire Safety Report shows crimes such as murder, robbery and aggravated assault remained low in 2009. Less than a dozen cases of each crime were reported, which is consistent with previous years.
The number of murders remained at zero in 2009, while the number of robberies increased slightly from 27 in 2008 to 31 in 2009. The number of aggravated assaults decreased from 145 in 2008 to 99 in 2009.
The ELPD report shows violent crimes, including murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault, have been on a decline since the early 1990s. There were 1,290 serious crimes committed that were reported to the ELPD last year — almost half the number committed in 1991.
Despite a few variations, numerous acts of other crimes are at a 10-year low in the city of East Lansing.
There were 31 motor vehicle thefts in 2009 — about 23 less than the average of 54 in the nine years prior. From 2008 to 2009, the number of disorderly conduct violations decreased by 11 percent, from 536 in 2008 to 475 in 2009. And from 2005 to 2009, the number of disorderly conduct violations decreased by 28 percent, from 658 in 2005 to 475 in 2009.
There were 413 cases of vandalism committed in 2009, which is 25 percent less than the average number committed in the last nine years.
“East Lansing is really in a safe period,” East Lansing police Chief Tom Wibert said. “The last three years are the lowest years (in serious crime) of the last 30.”
Slight increases or decreases in the serious crimes listed in the MSU report are not necessarily affected by any one factor, MSU police Sgt. Florene McGlothian-Taylor said.
“The crimes do happen in cycles,” McGlothian-Taylor said.
“One year it may be 10 thefts. Another year it might be 13. This year it might be six. It just sort of depends.”
McGlothian-Taylor said the MSU police have continued to be proactive in educating students about safety through workshops within classes and residence halls.
The department also trains volunteer students and faculty to help the police department with duties such as reporting suspicious activity in parking lots or implementing an evacuation plan or sheltering for a building in an emergency.
Wibert said the reduction in serious crimes probably is due in part to the university’s changing the school calendar to shorten Welcome Week and MSU becoming a more competitive school.
“It’s harder to get into MSU,” Wibert said. “The caliber of students has changed over the year, and that has had an impact on safety.”
Technology also contributes to the effectiveness of police forces, East Lansing police Capt. Kim Johnson said.
Johnson said the ELPD and MSU work together to keep MSU students and the East Lansing community safe and informed.
Both reports showed a higher number of arsons compared to other years. In East Lansing, the number of arson cases increased by 39 percent, from 28 in 2008 to 39 in 2009. At MSU, the number of arson cases increased from seven in 2008 to 10 in 2009.
MSU Fire Marshal and Inspector Denis Zietlow said the increase might be because of more petty fires, such as an instance where an MSU student burned his or her shoes.
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“In our feeling, we had a very safe fire year,” Zietlow said. “We had a few incidents in residence halls that weren’t anything major.”
Political science and pre-law freshman Danielle Barden said the level of safety at MSU and in East Lansing is important to her.
“I want to feel safe,” Barden said. “This is going to be my new home, and I feel comfortable here.”
