Alcohol consumption and drug use may be a larger problem on Ball State University's campus than in previous years, according to the Campus Crime Statistics released Monday.
The University Police Department released the results in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure Act which requires all colleges and universities to file an annual crime report.
David Fried, director of student rights and community standards, said this year's report shows an increase in the number of alcohol and drug violations both on and off campus. However, he said these numbers might be slightly skewed as a result of an increased excise police task force on Ball State's campus.
"The University Police Department seem to think the increase in drug violations was because of more traffic enforcement on campus," Fried said.
The FBI released a similar crime report last month specifically related to Ball State's campus. The reports contradicted each other - the FBI report showed higher rates in areas of forcible rape, burglary and robbery.
Fried said these differences can be explained by the Clery Act, which bases its statistics on different reporting categories. The act provides very specific guidelines for universities to follow, including location sensitive guidelines. Only crimes committed on campus or in public areas directly adjacent to campuses are reported.
The annual FBI report compiles information from both on and off campus, taking into consideration more than 10,000 Ball State students who live off campus. As a result of this, Fried said, the FBI statistics tend to be higher than those from the Clery Act reports.
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