MORGANTOWN — WVU reports a decrease in crime in several key areas for 2023 compared to the previous year. The WVU Police Department released its Clery Act security and fire safety report on Wednesday.
Federally required Clery Act reports are designed “to provide important information about the safety and security of college communities to enable people to make informed decisions about college for educational or employment purposes.”
Morgantown campus numbers for rape, fondling, burglary, and alcohol and drug abuse arrests are all down from 2022. Some crimes — robbery, vehicle theft, arson, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking — saw a slight increase.
UPD Chief Sherry St. Clair said they’ve taken steps and made investments in recent months to improve campus safety and increase communication with members of the university community.
Communication improvements include keeping students better aware of what’s happening on campus and informing the university community about available services and resources.
UPD, she said, has put out an interactive module that covers several safety topics, and users can even take a test at the end. The topics cover active shooter, de-escalation and workplace violence, fire and building evacuations, suspicious package and bomb threats, and gun safety and Campus Carry resources.
They’re also doing training for staff and students for active shooter and de-escalation, she said.
UPD has been increasing patrols in cooperative zone areas — Greek life and housing — and on campus, she said. And they’ve bought two new small dual-sport motorcycles to use in areas where cruisers don’t fit — such as the rail-trails, arboretum and farms.
“If you look at the numbers and the amount of people here, I think the numbers are pretty good,” she said. “There’s always room for improvement. … We encourage people to report anything they see. If they see something suspicious or see something that’s not right, please call us.”
The phone numbers are 3-COPS (3-2677) for on-campus phones, and 304-293-COPS for non-campus phones.
The crime numbers
The report provides figures for 2023, 2022 and 2021. Each includes on-campus crime (with on-campus student housing incidents specified), non-campus property WVU owns or controls, and public property within or immediately adjacent to campus. Here are some highlights.
There were 18 on-campus rapes (including 13 in student housing) and one non-campus rape in 2023; four of those were reported to have occurred in prior years. For 2022, there were 19 on-campus, all in student housing, and two on non-campus property; three were reported to have occurred in prior years. In 2021, there were 17 on-campus rapes, with 15 of those in student housing.
Fondling: 14 in 2023, with five of those in student housing; 17 in 2022, with seven in student housing; 12 in 2021, with six in student housing.
Robbery: Two in 2023; one in 2022; three on public property in 2021, with one of those just an attempt.
Aggravated assault: 12 in 2023, with two in student housing; 17 in 2022, with three in student housing; 19 in 2021, with none in student housing and 10 on public property.
Burglary: 10 in 2023, with five in student housing, and two of the 10 just attempts; 26 in 2022 (including two attempts), with 17 in student housing; 25 in 2023, with 10 in student housing, and including two that occurred in 2020.
Motor vehicle theft: Five in 2023, four in 2022, six in 2021.
Arson: Two in each year, with one each in student housing in 2023 and 2021.
Violence Against Women Act offenses of domestic violence, dating violence and stalking are also reported.
Domestic violence: 24 in 2023, with 11 at Ruby Memorial Hospital and nine in student housing; 21 in 2022, with 17 in student housing; 18 in 2021, with 15 in student housing. There was only one instance of dating violence in the three years, reported in 2023.
Stalking: 24 in 2023, with 10 in student housing; 22 in 2022, with 12 in student housing and two reported from prior years; 14 in 2021, with 10 in student housing.
Arrests are also reported, including for liquor law and drug abuse violations.
Liquor law: 105 in 2023, with 61 on public property and 19 in student housing; 89 in 2022, with 38 on public property and 33 in student housing; 296 in 2021 (during COVID and before the vaccines were offered), with 198 on public property and 70 in student housing.
Drug abuse: 11 in 2023, with three in student housing; 47 in 2022, with 40 in student housing; 112 in 2021, with 84 in student housing.
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