CAMPUS ABOVE IN ARRESTS

Drug, Alcohol Busts Top City

Crime statistics released by the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh last
month show the campus is a safer place than the city as a whole,
though its students continue to outpace Oshkosh in per capita drug and
alcohol offenses.

UWO in September released its annual campus security report as
required by the U.S. Department of Education. According the report,
the university in 2002 had only 15 serious crimes considered
reportable by the FBI, while recording 170 drug arrests and 395
alcohol-related arrests.

On a per capita comparison to the city's 2002 crime report, the
university had more than double the rate of alcohol arrests and close
to four times the overall city rate for drug arrests.

Chancellor Richard Wells on Friday said the college age group is one
that generally makes up a sizeable portion of drug and alcohol cases
whether they 're students or not. The numbers in part reflect the
institution's dedication to enforcing drug and alcohol laws, Wells
said.

Despite university efforts to counsel against substance abuse and
provide alternative activities, students admitted that drugs and
alcohol still play a role in the social culture.

"All college students are the same, and we party and have fun," Gibson
said. "(Police) are obviously going to be out there looking for it."

While drugs and alcohol are an ongoing concern, statistics show an
overall high degree of safety on the university campus.

Major crimes categories tracked by the FBI including rape, arson,
burglary and car theft tallied in at 13.3 crimes per 10,000 students.

There were seven forcible sex offenses, one robbery, a stolen car and
six burglaries reported on the campus last year. The citywide rate for
the same list of reportable crimes was 65 offenses per 10,000 people.

Sophomore Lisa Hartman said she wasn't at all surprised that the
university' s index crime rate came in lower than the city's.

The university's concern for student safety is well noted from
well-lit streets to safety-related programs and emergency phones
scattered throughout the campus offering a direct link to the police
department.

"Personally I feel very confident about how safe it is here," Hartman
said. "I think they've done a lot of great things to make the campus
safe."

Wells said safety is a top priority. Efforts to combat drug and
alcohol abuse are also a priority that will continue, university
officials said.

On campus, there were 151.6 drug arrests per 10,000 students last
year, compared to 43.4 citywide. The university also outpaced the city
in per capita alcohol arrests, with 352.3 per 10,000 people, compared
to 158.6 for the city as a whole.

In an interview earlier this month, Elliot Garb, vice chancellor of
student affairs, said the administration places a strong emphasis on
prevention-based programs that begin when students first arrive to
register for classes.

Those programs follow students in the residence halls, and the campus
works to offer a variety of substance-free events, he said.

Wells said it takes some time for young students to adjust to the
freedom that comes with college, and the university works hard to
encourage healthy behaviors.

"When students arrive here, they're young and we do worry about them,"
Wells said. "They'll experiment to some level, but we're trying to
make sure they pay attention to just how fast that can become
something they didn't intend."