UC Merced Not a Haven for Crime: Police Chief Says Students Play Big Role in Keeping Campus Safe

By The Modesto Bee, Calif.

Jun. 20–UC Merced Police Chief Rita Spaur said the first year at the new school was as quiet as she had expected.

The crime statistics for University of California at Merced, released along with stats for the rest of the system, show only the period between September and December because the school opened Labor Day weekend.

Spaur said there was only one felony arrest over the whole school year. It was for a staff member who reportedly forged a parking pass, which has been reduced to a misdemeanor and is still going through the court system, Spaur said. The staff member has returned to campus after administrative leave.

Theft is probably the biggest crime on most UC campuses. Spaur attributes that to opportunity and said she’s planning some programs that deal with personal and property safety.

Spaur said the reason the campus has been quiet is that it’s still small and that the six officers have been working hard to get to know the students, faculty and staff.

“There’s a trust that has built up,” she said.

For example, when someone visits the open campus late at night, the police department gets lots of calls. The students are active in helping keep the campus safe, she said.

On the Net: http://police.berkeley.edu/annual_report/2005/Merced/crime_statistics.html

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Modesto Bee, Calif.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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