CHAMPAIGN, Ill. Criminal sexual assaults, robberies and home invasions on the University of Illinois campus decreased substantially from Sept. 1, 2001, to May 31, 2002, according to statistics released this month by the universitys Division of Public Safety. However, crime in six other reporting categories increased during that period.
There were 13 criminal sexual assaults reported compared with 16 incidents during the equivalent reporting period a year earlier. Thirteen is the lowest number of criminal sexual assaults recorded since the 1997-1998 reporting period, when six incidents were reported.
Likewise, robberies continued to show a downward trend and were at their lowest point in seven years. During the nine-month period ending in May, 19 robberies occurred, down from 26 incidents during the same period a year earlier.
Home invasions also decreased during the September 2001 to May 31, 2002, reporting period to two occurrences, compared with five incidents in the same period a year earlier.
Residential burglaries, however, increased 61 percent to 203 incidents from 126 during the nine-month period ending May 31, 2001.
Burglaries from motor vehicles increased 21 percent to 177, up from 146 incidents during the same period the preceding year.
Public indecency and Peeping Tom incidents were at their second lowest in seven years at nine incidents. Although public indecency/Peeping Tom cases were up one from the previous year, there were significantly fewer than in the nine-month reporting period ending May 31, 2000, during which 21 such crimes were reported.
There were 112 burglaries reported during the Sept. 1, 2001, to May 31, 2002, reporting period, an increase of 7.6 percent over the 104 reported during the same period the prior year. Reports of aggravated assaults and batteries increased by two (to 87) over the previous years reporting period.
Burglaries of motor vehicle parts also increased during the Sept. 1, 2001, to May 31, 2002, reporting period with six occurrences. One burglary of motor vehicle parts was reported during the same period the preceding year.
The university crime report includes incidents that occurred in an area extending from University Avenue on the north to Windsor Road on the south, Race Street on the east and the railroad tracks just east of Neil Street on the west.
Statistics on crime on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus have been kept and publicly reported since 1995. The statistics are reported three times annually and in new-student orientations and during campus crime-prevention programs.
