Robbery, burglary and arson are on the rise around campus, according to the UNM Police Department’s 2008 crime statistics.
Drug law violations increased the most, with 10 more incidents than in 2007.
UNMPD spokesman Lt. Robert Haarhues said most crime numbers from 2007 showed increases in the single digits for 2008. He said one crime that has been noticeably on the rise is arson. There was only one incident of arson in 2006, but that jumped to five in 2007 and eight in 2008.
Haarhues said several arson incidents have occurred in 2009, and UNMPD suspects the same person is behind them.
“You could say this person is a serial arsonist. Those fires that keep happening on Sigma Chi Road are all by the same person — that’s why arson crime has gone up,” Haarhues said. “Some of the fires have been worse than others. The one that just happened last week at the Telos House — there were people in there, so that could have been really serious.”
UNMPD is taking measures to catch the arsonist, but Haarhues said he can’t disclose what those measures are.
Haarhues said the crime numbers reported include anyone who was on north, south or main campus, not just students and faculty.
Car theft, burglary and robbery have all increased in 2008.
Haarhues said students need to take protective measures to secure their property, including dorms, cars and bikes. Most crimes around campus occur during the day when everyone is in class, he said.
“If you’re in your dorm or your car, lock your doors everywhere,” he said. “Don’t leave anything of value that someone could see in your car.”
Haarhues said locking doors and taking precautions against thieves can go a long way.
“I can’t think of any instances where someone broke into a dorm and forced their way in,” he said. “It’s always been unlocked or left open, and they’ll just come in and steal.”
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Forcible sex offense decreased from three instances in 2007 to two in 2008.
Haarhues said police escorts, who can accompany students within a mile of campus, are available to walk students home 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Students can call an escort from the blue phones around campus if they don’t have a way to call the UNMPD dispatch number.
“We probably get a couple calls per month from the blue phones,” Haarhues said.
Freshman Dani Carver said she has been safe at UNM so far during her first semester.
“Sometimes I’m on campus at night for Lobo Spirit, but I feel safe, because we’re all in big groups,” Carver said. “I’d probably never walk around UNM at night alone, though.”
Student Katie Higgins said the only campus crime she worries about is bike theft.
“My brother has had two bikes stolen in the past three years he’s been going here,” Higgins said. “I’m definitely scared, because it seems like bikes get stolen a lot, and I don’t want mine to be stolen. That’s really the only thing I get nervous about around campus.”
UNMPD Dispatch
505-277-2241
