It’s generally rare for Mavs to encounter crime on campus, but like anywhere else in the country, it cannot be avoided.
“[The overall pattern of crime] tells you this is a really safe campus,” Colorado Mesa University (CMU) President John Marshall said. “By and large, I think it’s an affirmation that we, together, have built a really safe campus, and as long as we’re committed to keeping it that way, this is a pretty great place.”
According to CMU’s Annual Clery Security Safety Report, on-campus crimes such as manslaughter, arson, robbery and possession of an illegal weapon have been nonexistent between 2019-2021. Moreover, there are no reports of domestic violence and burglaries for 2021, which is an improvement from the year prior.
In contrast, the safety report indicates that arrests and disciplinary referrals for drug violations on campus have more than doubled. Furthermore, there is a significant jump in arrests on campus for liquor law violations.
However, there has been a decrease in reported disciplinary referrals for liquor law violations. Arrests also include cases that warranted a ticket, whereas disciplinary referrals generally pertain to punishment from a Resident Assistant or CMU faculty member.
The reason behind this growth in drug arrests and referrals is not clear, but CMU has been expanding its Real Talk: Mental Health program and continuing its Peer180 rehabilitation support group as a means of combating the trend.
Perhaps the most notable update to the safety report is the recent escalation of rapes and fondlings. Between 2020 and 2021, the instances of rape on campus went from zero to three, and reports of fondling jumped from three to seven.
Additionally, there is a subtle increase in reported dating violence and stalking. The Director of Campus Safety and Student Conduct Pua Utu notes this likely indicates students are becoming educated on consent and feel more empowered to come forward.
“Our understanding is that, through the ongoing education that’s happening at CMU, students are finding that they have a safe place to go and report such incidents,” Utu said. “So, it’s not to say that there are more cases of fondling occurring necessarily, but it is likely that students have learned that they can trust the university to help when these kinds of incidents occur, and so are utilizing the resources that are available.”
Nevertheless, Marshall and CMU administration ensure there will be a continued emphasis on equipping students with all the tools necessary to prevent and handle sexual assault.
“We’ve got to continue having these hard conversations with one another to make sure we’re both setting an expectation for ourselves around what we expect in terms of behavior for ourselves, and everyone around us, and then holding each other accountable to those high standards,” Marshall said. “And that’s not a simple thing. It’s an education thing. It’s a values conversation.”
Mavs looking for a more immediate solution regarding their safety are encouraged to utilize the Campus Safety Assistants program, where trained Mavs are sent to escort you from one point to another, so long as it’s within two blocks of campus. Campus Safety Assistants can be contacted between 6 p.m. and 2 a.m. every day at 970-260-2683.
