Comparing 2022 to 2023, harassment cases were up 160% in the month of September, going from five to 13; the September activity report shows. While the Iowa State University Police Department (ISUPD) is unsure of why these numbers are continuing to increase, they have seen this trend since the pandemic started.
“We are seeing an increase in people harassing one another, which I’m not positive exactly why,” said ISUPD Chief Michael Newton. “We saw that after COVID, and it seems like the personal skills of talking to one another have continued to be an issue over the years.”
The department has talked several times recently regarding the trend in harassment that seems to be continuing to increase over the years. Their goal is to provide more education on civil discourse in hopes of promoting a decrease in harassment cases.
Another noteworthy statistic is the increase in vandalism, which was up 100%. In 2022, vandalism cases in September totaled 17, compared to 2023 with 34 cases. Fifteen of those cases came out of the Cy-Hawk game Sept. 9, where a woman allegedly vandalized 15 patrol cars during the game. The woman later turned herself in and accepted all charges.
Theft statistics were cut in half, going from 14 in 2022 to seven in 2023. The department has put an emphasis on theft awareness on campus, and they hope initiating those initiatives will result in a decreased number of thefts.
While OWI statistics decreased from September 2022, going from 16 to six cases, year-to-date, numbers are still up 10% compared to the previous year.
Year-to-date, calls for service are up 42.7%, going from 17,899 to 25,534.
The department took part in several different trainings, ranging from domestic and interpersonal violence to open-range firearms training.
September statistics:
Assault: 5 (150% increase)
Sexual Assault: 0
Harassment: 13 (160% increase)
Burglary: 0
Theft: 7 (50% decrease)
Theft from a motor vehicle: 1
Motor vehicle theft: 1
Drug violations: 14
Alcohol violations: 88
Extortion/forgery/scam/fraud: 2
Criminal mischief/vandalism: 34 (50% increase)
OWI: 6 (62.5% decrease)
Traffic and accidents: 31
Welfare check/medical assist: 16
Traffic stops: 455 (21.7% increase)
New reports: 245 (25% increase)
Calls for service: 2,863 (8.2% increase)
