A national trade association for safety and security ranked CSUSM as the safest college campus in California – a rating that is backed by the university’s annual security report earlier this month.

CSUSM Chief of Police Scott Ybarrondo said, “The campus’ safety is everybody’s responsibility. I believe that is one of the main reasons we have such a safe community. Faculty, staff, students and UPD should be proud of the safe environment they have created. This in conjunction with the City of San Marcos being one of the safest cities in San Diego County makes this such a wonderful place to be.”

In the list for 2018’s safest college campuses, created by the National Council for Home Safety and Security, the rankings were created using data from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting program and the Campus Safety Security Survey.

CSUSM’s 2018 Annual Security Report was released on Sept. 17, containing CSUSM main campus crime statistics for 2015, 2016 and 2017.

Within the past three years at CSUSM, the total of reported crimes and violations of state and local drug, liquor and weapons laws have decreased.

According to the report, the total number of offenses was 246 in 2015. That total increased to 295 in 2016, which saw a decrease in reported rapes but a significant increase in drug and liquor law referrals. The lowest offense count of all three years came in 2017, which totaled to 228.

From 2016 to 2017, CSUSM experienced an increase in four offenses, a decrease in nine offenses and stagnation in seven offenses.

The reported offenses that increased were rape, aggravated assault, dating violence and weapon law referrals.

According to the report, 13 cases of rape were reported in 2017 compared to the eight reported in 2016. Though the increase is significant, both years are a considerable improvement to 2015’s 21 reported rapes. The FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program defines rape as the, “penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.”

The report states that aggravated assault reports increased from zero in 2016 to two in 2017 and that reports of dating violence increased from four to 10. The increase in weapon law referrals was due to a singular occurrence in 2017.

The offenses that saw decreases from 2016 to 2017 were fondling, robbery, burglary, domestic violence, stalking, liquor law arrests and referrals and drug law arrests and referrals. The most significant decrease came from liquor law referrals which, according to the report, dropped from 59 to 30 in 2017.

Many offenses have remained stagnant with zero recorded occurrences. These offenses include murder, manslaughter by negligence, incest, statutory rape, motor vehicle theft, arson and weapon law arrests.

Alongside the statistics, the report also includes information on CSUSM’s crime and sexual assault prevention programs, security and evacuation procedures and security-related policy statements.

CSUSM offers several preventative crime programs throughout each school year such as Alcohol & Drug Awareness Week, RAD (Rape Aggression Defense) Self Defense classes and the PRICE Program (Preventing Rape by Intoxication through Community Education).

Dialling 9-1-1 or using emergency telephones throughout campus are useful for emergency reporting, but for students seeking to anonymously report a crime, the 24/7 Crime Stoppers Program can help. Students can call the tip line number, 888-580-TIPS, text “TIPS 409” to CRIMES (274637) or submit a tip online at www.sdcrimestoppers.com.

“One of my main goals for the new school year is to find additional ways for UPD to engage with the community. It is an understatement to say police relations in many communities across the country are strained,” said Ybarrondo.

“I believe we have a unique opportunity to have meaningful dialogue with our students. We can all learn from one another.  When a student sees a UPD officer on campus I want them to know we are part of the community and there for everybody’s safety.”

The report can be found at https://www.csusm.edu/clery/documents/asr2018.pdf.