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MSU releases three years of crime and fire reports

October 3, 2019
<p>A Michigan State Police car on Aug. 23, 2019 in East Lansing.  </p>

A Michigan State Police car on Aug. 23, 2019 in East Lansing.

Photo by Sylvia Jarrus | The State News

Michigan State University officially released this year's Annual Security and Fire Safety report, listing all reported crimes from the last three calendar years committed on campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by MSU; and on public property accessible from campus. 

Federal law requires MSU to send out this report, as it contains valuable information about safety and security on and off campus. 

The U.S. Department of Education issued a $4.5 million fine in September due to failures to accordingly report crimes.

“MSU’s sexual assault statistics are higher than previous years in part because they include incidents related to Nassar that were reported in calendar year 2018,” Clery Coordinator Jacquelynn Kittel said via email. “Additionally, the statistics may be higher than previous years because more people are reporting sexual assault incidents.”

The report lists the amount of crimes committed each year, it includes crimes such as manslaughter, sexual assault, burglary, domestic violence, and arson. 

Some of the highest reported crimes on campus in 2018 were burglary with 48 reported cases, motor vehicle theft with 47, rape with 44, and stalking with 38. While murder, manslaughter by negligence, incest, statutory rape and arson had zero reported cases.

The on-campus reports in 2016 and 2017 are very similar, except for a higher amount of burglary with 73 in 2016 and 94 in 2017. 

The numbers for campus residential facilities, non-campus buildings or property and public property are all fairly low, except for the amount of reported rape and sexual assault on non-campus buildings or property. In 2016, 68 rapes and 3 fondlings where reported, in 2017 there where 152 rapes and 12 fondlings reported and in 2018, 969 rapes and 146 fondlings occurred. 

On the crime chart included in the report, many criminal offenses in 2016, 2017 and 2018 related to sexual assault have an asterisk next to the number to indicate an increase in crime reports following the uncovering of Ex-MSU sports doctor Larry Nassar's abuse.

The MSU Police Department also releases a daily crime and fire log For more information about the report or to get a hard copy, you can contact the Clery coordinator. 

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