Editor’s note: an error in the data in the first graph “Over the last three years, reports of stalking have increased at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo” was changed to reflect the correct percentage increase of 33%.
Crime at Cal Poly decreased overall in 2020 in most categories compared to the prior two years aside from stalking — which rose significantly, according to a recently released annual security report.
Cal Poly Police Chief George Hughes attributed the drop in crime to less people being on campus last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and classes moving predominantly online. That creates less opportunity for crime, he said.
Stalking was the only category that experienced a significant increase in numbers. In 2019, there were 24 reports of stalking on-campus. In 2020, there were 32 reports of stalking on-campus, 12 of which occurred in residential communities on campus.
The report noted that “one individual surveilled 13 individuals more than once,” which could account for the increase in stalking on campus.
Hughes was unable to go into specifics about this individual due to privacy concerns, he said.
The crimes reported do not necessarily lead to convictions — it is not necessary that a crime be investigated by the police or prosecuted to be included in the annual report’s statistics.
Aside from stalking, several categories experienced slight increases in reports, but still remained relatively low in number. Motor vehicle theft rose from two incidents in 2019 to four incidents in 2020.
In an email to Mustang News, University Spokesperson Matt Lazier wrote that four of these five incidents involved the theft of campus golf carts, which qualify as motor vehicles.
Weapons law arrests also experienced a slight increase in reports. Hughes explained that all of the incidents related to this category were regarding pocket knives with blades over two and a half inches long.
The report noted that in 2020 there were six reports of rape that occurred on-campus and four off-campus. Hughes said that he finds this concerning, but that he finds it concerning when there are more than zero rapes reported.
“When you look at how many individuals we have living on campus and off campus, because we also include off campus locations in [the report], it’s a relatively lower number,” Hughes said.
Hughes said that rape is typically an underreported crime, and that the Cal Poly Police Department works closely with Safer, Student Affairs and other campus entities to take as many preventative measures as are possible.
The annual report is released by Cal Poly in order to be compliant with a federal law called the Clery Act, which requires universities to issue a yearly report on crime that occurs on campus and in surrounding areas. The report is prepared in cooperation with several different entities connected to the University such as the Cal Poly Police Department and University Housing.
In 2020, 11 burglaries occurred on campus, which was less than the 15 reported in 2019 but more than the 8 reported in 2018. Lazier said that most of these incidents were related to homeless people breaking into buildings on campus while they weren’t being regularly utilized due to the pandemic.
The annual report is released by Cal Poly in order to be compliant with a federal law called the Clery Act, which requires universities to issue a yearly report on crime that occurs on campus and in surrounding areas. The report is prepared in cooperation with several different entities connected to the University such as the Cal Poly Police Department and University Housing.