Enrollment Up, Crime Stats Down at UM-Dearborn

The is celebrating growth of their student body population–with a concurrent overall drop in crime, according to statistics released last week.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Crime in the United States report shows that property crimes on Dearborn’s campus dropped from 68 in 2009 to 36 last year–an almost 50 percent reduction. That includes a drop from 57 larcenies in 2009 to 32 in 2010, and from 11 to three car thefts on campus last year.

Violent crimes–including murder, rape and aggravated assault–stayed consistent both years, with no incidences reported either year.

UM-Dearborn Department of Public Safety Director Rick Gordon said his team is happy with the numbers–especially the notable drop in auto thefts, which he said have been one of his top priorities.

“Auto theft has been something that we’ve been targeting for the 15 years I’ve been here,” he said. “It’s something we really needed to get a handle on. The year before last, we had a spike up to 11, and when that happens–and it does occasionally–we hunker down on that.”

To address the problem, Gordon said Campus Safety didn’t increase staff–just their visibility on campus.

“It’s not catching bad guys; it’s keeping them off our campus, and we do that by trying to create this high visibility mode–the impression of being everywhere, all the time and making sure people see us,” he explained. “It’s a very effective way, in our opinion, of keeping thugs somewhere else.”

And the statistics show that it worked, even as enrollment continued to grow from 2009 to 2010.

With 2011 numbers in, UM-Dearborn has shown growth again, climbing to 8,955 students enrolled in fall 2011 classes. Gordon’s staff has grown, too, to 20 people including himself, but with the added responsibility of patrolling the campus’ Fairlane Complex on Hubbard Drive. That area’s security had been handled through a contract with Ford Land until June 1 of this year.

Still, Gordon said he feels his staff–including 11 trained police officers and nine public safety officials–is adequate for the job.

“There are more students and more people on campus, and that does create a little more of a challenge for us in terms of parking and managing the student population,” he said. “But the additional five people we were able to hire has helped immensely. We think we’re able to manage it pretty well.”

Also aiding their job is the increasingly easy ability to disseminate important information on UM-Dearborn's website or via email, while cross-promotion goes up quickly on the school’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

For more serious situations, such as a natural disaster or unsafe situation on campus, loudspeakers and an electronic warning system ensure that information can get to students and staff as quickly as possible. Gordon said the school has never needed to use the emergency system since implementing it earlier this decade.

But beyond Campus Safety officers’ efforts, Gordon says the first defense against crime should always be the students and staff themselves.

Walk in pairs, Gordon advises. Be aware of your surroundings. And, most importantly, don’t leave your belongings unattended.

“Simple larceny is the most prevalent problem we have on campus,” Gordon said. “Students leaving their stuff unattended, going to the library and leaving their bags in the aisle. A lot of petty theft, but some rises to pretty expensive items, and it’s almost always due to individual carelessness.

“It’s theft that people can control if they would just pay attention to it.”

Here's a complete look at UM-Dearborn's crime statistics:

For a full look at city crime statistics, take a look at our .