A College Town : A Look into Campus Crime in Albany

By: Brittany Cosman

Albany New York, Oct.22,2006 - Albany is known as a college town, just in the local Albany area there are two major colleges, The College of Saint Rose, and the State University at Albany. Then right outside of Albany there is Siena College. College campus crime is definitely an issue. It is an issue that does not get a lot of coverage in today’s society. The two major crimes that are committed on different campuses are burglaries and larcenies. Many colleges aim to protect their students with campus security that has programs and systems in place so that students are being

protected at all times. Campus security is a big way that colleges try to prevent crimes from happening.

James Miller from the Albany Police Department said the most common crimes reported from Saint Rose and The University at Albany are room burglaries and larcenies from dorm room. Miller said, “Education is the key component to reducing crime on campus and in the campus neighborhoods.  Students taking safety steps to keep themselves safe and their property safe is important as well as regular communication with the school's security staffs.”

Saint Rose says that they have one of the best safety records or colleges of its

size. There are 4,500 students at the college. At Saint Rose a security report was posted on their website that stated, “This report is being compiled in accordance with the Federal Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) of 1998. The College of Saint Rose has one of the best safety records of colleges of its size in New York state and, together, we can maintain a safe and secure campus environment.” The Clery Act, “originally known as the "Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990") requires colleges and universities to disclose campus crime information that before it was enacted many schools had been able to keep secret.” Saint Rose has campus security that is supposed to be there to protect the students at the college. Steve Stella from The College of Saint Rose said that the most frequent crime reported at the college is larceny. When crimes are reported the college uses the local police department and the college’s judicial process.

Steve Stella is the Director of Safety and Security here at the college, he is the guys who is in charge of keeping our students safe and he is the guys who is trying to prevent crimes from happening on campus. Stella said, “Education is the best method. Removing the opportunity for criminals to commit a crime is highly effective. We can’t remove their desire or ability to commit crimes.”

At Siena College with 2,900 students, located right outside of Albany the campus crime statistics show that the highest crime committed on campus was a violation of liquor laws. Siena College unlikeSaint Rose and The University at Albany is not located in an urban environment. Siena College is located in a high end suburban area right outside of Albany on a protected campus. On the college’s website it says the, “The mission of this department is to foster a safe campus, which helps to ensure an academic environment that includes respect for others and their property and that encourages a feeling of community and safety among students, faculty and staff.”

At the University at Albany there are 17,000 students, 12,000 of those are undergraduates. Inspector Aran C. Mull of the University Police said that larceny and criminal mischief are the two most commonly reported crimes on campus and are in fact the most common nationally.

Mull said, “Both are also commonly, at least on college campuses, crimes of opportunity.  That is to say that the acts do not appear to be part of a planned vandalism or theft act but rather are most commonly committed spontaneously as the opportunity presents itself.  That is also why they are among the most difficult of crimes to address.“ What happens to those who commit crimes on the college campus? Mull said, “The procedure for taking and investigating reports as well as the arrest and court procedures are largely the same for any police department through out New York.  We do additionally have access to the Campus Judicial Process which may (and typically does) run concurrently with any criminal proceeding which gives us some flexibility and depth that some other police agencies may not have the ability to take advantage of.”

Although SUNY Albany does have its own police department Mull said, “Clearly uniformed patrol does have an impact on both criminal acts but here on the University the University Police also take a very proactive role in trying to educate the students, faculty and staff in ways to limit or remove the opportunity that others may have to steal or vandalize their property.  Patrol and education of the public are the two most effective methods we have to address those particular offenses – both of which are focused on preventing the victimization of our community members.” Although there are crimes committed on the campus the University Police are dedicated to serving the college and protecting the students, faculty and all of the people on the campus.

  College campus crime is a very big issue especially in such a big college town like Albany. After looking at three colleges right in the area it is easy to see the biggest crimes committed are larceny and burglary with alcohol being way up there. Many people say education is the key to preventing crimes from happening. Maybe in the future colleges can try their best to educate students on how to prevent crimes and college campus crime can be diminished.