The Ohio State University has released its Annual Security and Fire Safety Reports, showing an increase in present-day crime reporting on or near the Columbus campus. It also reveals statistics for crime on the university’s regional campuses, including The Ohio State University at Mansfield.
The release, with statistics from January 1, 2018, through December 31, 2018, complies with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act.
As for the Columbus campus, because the Clery Act requires that incidents are counted in the year they were reported rather than the year in which they occurred, the statistics also include incidents of sexual abuse by Richard Strauss. Strauss was a university-employed physician from 1978 to 1998. He died in 2005. Strauss’ abuse was the subject of an independent investigation by Perkins Coie LLP made public by Ohio State in May. It detailed acts of sexual abuse against at least 177 former students by Strauss. Perkins Coie provided the majority of Strauss-related data for this year’s security report.
Clery Act requirements
The Clery Act is a federal statute requiring institutions of higher learning that receive federal funding to publish an annual security report by October 1 each year.
It requires the inclusion of reported incidents that occurred on campus, in non-campus university buildings or property owned or controlled by Ohio State or its recognized student organizations, and on public property within or immediately adjacent to and accessible from campus.
In accordance with the Clery Act, colleges and universities are further required to:
- Count incidents in the year they were reported rather than the year in which they occurred.
- Provide statistics reflecting total incidents reported and not the total number of victims. One individual could report multiple incidents, and each of those incidents would be counted separately and then added together toward a total number.
- Include incidents in which an individual shares that another person was the victim of a crime or that multiple people were victims. If no further details are available, a determination is made based on the characterization of the reporting party.
“The university is committed to continued transparency in the vitally important area of campus and community safety,” said Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer Gates Garrity-Rokous. “The Clery Act sets precise direction to disclose reported instances of crime annually, and today’s report has made every attempt to make all reportable crimes known and readily available to the public.”
OSU Mansfield
The following numbers were reported for crime taking place on the OSU Mansfield campus. Note that these are only for types of crime for which numbers were shared; other areas had no reported activity. Numbers are for 2018, 2017, and 2016.
- Rape – 2, 1, 0 – Both took place in residential facilities on campus
- Fondling – 1, 0, 0 – Took place in residential facilities on campus
- Domestic Violence – 1, 0, 0
- Dating Violence – 2, 0, 0 – Both took place in residential facilities on campus
- Stalking – 1, 0, 0 – Took place in residential facilities on campus
- Drug Arrests – 2, 1, 3
- Disciplinary Referrals for Alcohol Law Violations – 31, 28, 39
- Disciplinary Referrals for Drug Law Violations – 6, 1, 8
An increase in reported rapes was also shared by two other regional campuses. Reported numbers for those campuses were as follows:
- Newark – 4, 0, 0
- Wooster – 5, 0, 0
- Marion – 0, 0, 0
- Lima – 0, 0, 0
Source: The Ohio State University
