UA, ASU, NAU among
leaders in drug arrests

The Associated Press

A new survey of the nation's colleges and universities places
Arizona's three schools in the top 10 for number of drug
arrests. The largest increase in such arrests in the nation, the
survey showed, was at Northern Arizona University.

Safety officials at NAU and the University of Arizona
pointed to heightened enforcement to explain the figures,
which are to be published in the March 21 issue of The
Chronicle of Higher Education.

The national weekly newspaper compares figures from 1994
and 1995 for all fouryear colleges and universities with at
least 5,000 students. Of those 490 institutions, only Yeshiva
University refused to provide the figures to the Chronicle.
Schools which receive federal funds are required by law to
compile annual reports on crime.

``NAU in 1994 and 1995 became committed to reducing
criminal behavior on campus through zero tolerance for
drugs and alcohol. (And), we saw a dramatic increase in the
number of student reports to the campus police reports,''
NAU police director Larry Barnett said of the new survey.

The newspaper did a special story on NAU, where drug
arrests increased from 78 in 1994 to 133 in 1995. ASU and
Arizona were also among only 11 schools in the nation with
more than 100 drug arrests in 1995. ASU had 122 in 1995
and 128 in 1994 while Arizona had 176 in 1995 and 128 in
1994.

Like Barnett, Arizona police spokesman Lt. Brian Seastone
said higher drug arrest figures could be attributed to tougher
antidrug policies and more students turning in their peers.
He also noted, however, that drug arrests decreased from
1995 to 1996.

``What we've found is more students calling and reporting
illegal drug use in the past 10 years,'' said Stone.

All three schools have a small number of students working as
`community service officers,' who patrol their campuses.
Hired and trained, ``they're our eyes and ears,'' Stone said.

Barnett also noted students' involvement in the crack down.

``We see students observe it and make anonymous calls.
We've also had cases where roommates turn in another
roommate because the drugs are causing trouble in their
lives,'' he said.

ASU Police Chief Lanny Standridge declined comment on
the drug arrests figures, saying more study is needed to
explain them.

The survey showed drug arrests nationwide increased 18
percent in 1995; forcible and nonforcible sex offenses
reported increased 1.9 and 1.2 percent, respectively, and
liquorrelated arrests increased almost 1 percent. Murders,
robberies, aggravated assaults, burglaries and motor vehicle
thefts decreased nationwide in that year.

Violent crimes murder, sex offenses, aggravated assaults
and weapons violations showed no real pattern in Arizona
schools between 1994 and 1995.

The safety officials mentioned alcohol abuse and theft as
other major problems on campus. Often the trouble isn't
caused by students, they said.

``Most of those crimes don't involve members of the
community,'' said Standridge, estimating that onethird of
violent crimes involve students. ``We have a lot of events
here, football, concerts.''