Pierce publishes annual campus crime report

Kat Wilson

Reporter

The Jeanne Cleary Report reflects crime statistics about Pierce over a three-year period and is posted and updated annually by the sheriff’s department, according to Associate Vice President of Administrative Services Larry Kraus.

The report gives the students and the public information about how safe the campus is in regards to specific areas of issues including rape, assaults, and robberies, Kraus said.

Along with the Cleary Report, the Security Report - a report that is attached to the Cleary Act - is produced and posted on the Pierce College website, Kraus said.

Both reports benefit all students and anybody who has an invested interest in the college and its safety and security, Kraus said.

“It’s extremely important to us,” Vice President of Administrative Services Rolf Schleicher said. “It’s important to make sure that we have a safe environment for not only our students, but faculty and staff as well.”

Crimes on campus effect Pierce’s reputation, so this report is issued to let the school know what areas need to be improved, Schleicher said.

“Our goal is not just to serve [the student body] daily,” Schleicher said. “But to also make sure that we have a college that’s being recognized in the industry, too.”

In regard to reputation, a lot of students get jobs based on where they have gone to college and the reputation the college has, Schleicher said.

“We’ve had so many incidents on the campus in the last six months,” Schleicher said.

Crime seems to be escalating slightly, and it might be because of economic times that are making going to school difficult for students, Schleicher said.

The report will help the Sheriff’s Department and the Administrative Services prepare better, Kraus said.

“I think the Act will help because we look at the trends,” Schleicher said. “We look at what’s going on.”

Recently, 10 cadets have been brought back into the Sheriff’s Department.

The Administrative Department said that the budget was difficult to deal with, and that having the cadets on campus provided a physical constraint where money was concerned, but they are an important element to the campus.

“They make sure people are secure and safe here,” Schleicher said. “Especially since we have 20,000 students, some here at night. Some areas are really dark.”

Therefore, the cadets were returned to the campus to learn and gather experience through handson work at the campus.

“They’re the eyes and ears of the department,” Schleicher said.