Photo Credits: 2022-2023 Annual Report for the UPD Advisory Council
The Campus Police Department at Cal State, San Bernardino (CSUSB) does much more than just send us emails about wind advisories and freeze warnings. It may seem like they are just cruising the campus for citations, but if you check the CSUSB Police page on the school’s website, you will find that they have been tracking much more than just minor infractions.
The University Police have significantly lowered the crime rate on campus in the last ten years. Our UPD has kept a record of crime-related instances dating back to 2014. On the CSUPD website, everyone can view the crime graphics and charts online. We are free to view the most common crime-related occurrences such as aggravated assault, rape, theft, homicide, stolen vehicles, and arson. In 2023, there was only one report of rape, and 0 reports made in both 2021 and 2022. From 2015 to 2017, car theft was at an all-time high ranging from 21-25 a year! Thanks to the campus police, there was only one car theft in 2023. A current student at the CSUSB SB campus (she chose to stay anonymous) was asked how she felt about her safety while on campus. She stated, “I trust being on campus and the campus officials assigned to the school’s safety.” You can see the decline in lawlessness in the graph below. Please take into consideration that 2020 was the year the campus closed due to the pandemic and 2021 was primarily online due to the pandemic as well.
The 2022-2023 Annual Report for the UPD Advisory Council found online, states under Crime Prevention/Active Shooter Presentations that the University Police Department has been actively working on ways to educate and inform staff and students on how to respond to an active shooter. These drills were facilitated between Palm Desert and San Bernardino Campuses where 27 planned 28 drills were carried out. In addition to this crime prevention, the campus police noted that the 2022-2023 school year was the year of the catalytic converter. According to the UPD annual report, there was a significant increase in catalytic converter theft in parking lots B, C, and D. To address this issue, the UPD installed three new cameras and deployed police staff in more visible areas for patrol.
The fall semester is always one of the more challenging seasons for the UPD due to Daylight Savings. Because of this time change, the UPD anticipates transgression in more violent crimes, like robbery within their daily reported calls. Our Staff Development Center actively worked with the UPD to create a Daylight Savings Safety presentation to ensure that staff and students are aware of their surroundings during the early sunsets.
The University Police Department offers so many online resources to help students and staff alike. On their website, you can find links to counseling and psychological help, an office on violence against women, and links for the rape, abuse, and incest national networks. You can even find threat assessments to help determine indicators of potential concern. Students can also sign up for campus crime alerts on their phones to be “in the know” of all events while on and off campus. CSUSB is safe because of our university police and we thank them for their time and service every day.
