Pubdate: Thu, 22 Oct 2009
Source: Ka Leo O Hawaii (U of Hawai'i at Manoa, HI Edu)
Copyright: 2009 Ka Leo O Hawaii
Contact:  http://www.kaleo.org
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4129
Author: Mark Brislin
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

ALCOHOL, DRUG VIOLATIONS ON CAMPUS PLUMMET

College life is sometimes stereotyped as being saturated with parties
and alcohol, but at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, that way of
life seems to be fading, according to the 2009 UH Manoa Annual Crime
Report.

Disciplinary referrals for liquor law violations on the UHM campus and
dorms decreased by 52 percent from 2007 to 2008, and drug-related
violations decreased by about the same amount (51.7 percent) during
that time, according to the report.

There were 293 disciplinary referrals given for liquor law violations
in 2008, down from 616 in 2007 and 553 in 2006. All but three of the
liquor law violations and all of the drug-related violations during
those three years occurred in the UH dormitories or other residential
facilities.

Drug-related offenses appear to be on a steady decline, with 164
disciplinary referrals given for drug-related violations in 2006, 112
in 2007, and 54 in 2008.

UH Student Housing Director Mike Kaptik said in an e-mail response
through UH Manoa Director of Communication Diane Chang that "there
could be many reasons that contributed to the number but we don't know
specifically why."

Kaptik said that UH Housing Services has worked to create more
alternatives like programs and late-night activities for students.
Kaptik also said that UH Housing has "shifted our behavior process
practices to be more educationally focused to reduce repeat offenders."

The number of resident advisors in many of the resident halls has
increased, and a group called Residential Life focuses on building a
community in the residence halls, Kaptik said, adding that Residential
Life "will be working on assessing practices and student behavior this
year to determine where we are succeeding to help students and where
we need to improve."

Even though there were 1,463 disciplinary referrals for liquor law
violations and 330 drug-related violations from 2006 to 2008, there
were only two drug-related arrests made during that time.

Other Findings

Forcible sex offenses on campus increased from three cases in 2007 to
five in 2008. All forcible sex offenses occurred in dormitories or
other residential facilities.

Burglary cases increased from 43 in 2007 to 48 in 2008. Motor vehicle
thefts remained steady at three cases in both 2007 and 2008, as did
arson cases, with two each year.

There were no cases of weapons possession in 2008, a drop from two in
2007. There have also been no homicides on campus since 2006.

There were four aggravated assault cases in 2008, down from six in
2007.

The only crime committed at the John A. Burns School of Medicine from
2006 to 2008 was one case of aggravated assault in 2008 that occurred
across the street from the medical school.

UH Manoa Captain Donald Dawson said in an e-mail that JABSOM has a
contract with a private security company and that he helps out by
submitting the crime statistics for the medical school.

Dawson also said crime statistics in general, and burglaries and sex
assaults in particular, have declined this year compared to 2008.

Campus Security

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policies and Campus
Crime Statistics Act requires that an annual security report be made
available to the community and forwarded to the Department of
Education, according to the report.

UHM Campus Security is made up of 39 patrol officers, five sergeants,
and one chief and captain, according to the report. Dawson said on an
average day that no less than six officers and usually seven to 10
officers patrol UH Manoa.

Campus Security officers don't carry firearms and do not have police
power, but they are allowed to detain people who violate federal,
state and university laws . Campus Security "maintains an open and
reciprocal relationship with HPD and all other law enforcement
agencies in the state, utilizing their resources and expertise to
gather crime-related information, reports and statistics," according
to the report.

Campus Security services include providing escort services for people
walking alone on campus at night to any UH building or parking lot, as
well as taking sick and injured people on campus to University Health
Services. Campus Security services also include deterring potential
crime, responding to medical emergencies and conducting security and
safety inspections of UH, according to the report.
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