Annual Crime Statistics: 2009-2010-2011

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (“The Clery Act”) requires the annual publication, by institutions of higher education, of selected crime, arrest, and disciplinary statistics for the previous three calendar years.

This page is part of Western’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, which we encourage you to read in full. Other sections of the report include institutional policies concerning campus security, such as policies concerning crime prevention and the reporting of crimes, together with important information concerning Western’s policies regarding alcohol and drug use, and Western’s sexual assault prevention programs.

WWU officials recognize that not all crimes are reported. As described elsewhere in this site, several resources exist to provide support to victims of crimes, and numerous programs teach crime prevention strategies to members of the campus community. Students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to utilize these services and to help the University stop crime by reporting incidents to appropriate University departments.

Collection of Statistics: The Office of the Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services and the Office of University Communications coordinate the preparation of the annual security and fire safety report, including the gathering of crime statistics. The annual crime statistics are compiled from data provided by the University Police Department, the Bellingham Police Department, University Residences, University Judicial Services, and designated Campus Security Authorities (WWU officials who have significant responsibility for student and campus activities). To gather crime statistics for off-campus facilities, the University Police Department requests information from each facility’s staff and from the applicable local authorities. If you have questions regarding the statistics published here, please contact the office of the Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services.

Crime Definitions: The crime definitions used to collate the statistics in this report conform with the requirements of the implementing regulations of the Clery Act (ref. 34 CFR §668.46(c)(7)).

Hate Crimes: The Clery Act requires the separate reporting, by category of prejudice, of any crime reported in the classifications below and any other crime involving bodily injury that manifests evidence that the victim was intentionally selected because of the victim’s actual or perceived race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or disability. No hate crimes were reported at Western Washington University from 2004 through 2011.

Note on Statistics: These statistics represent crimes reported to a wide variety of officials, both on and off campus. Officials at WWU take a very proactive approach to the enforcement of university policies and of local, state, and federal laws. Higher reported numbers do not necessarily mean higher occurrences of crime. Higher numbers are often a result of more comprehensive enforcement and reporting.

Table Notes

* Amended data

^a The F.B.I. defines forcible sex offenses as: rape and attempted rape, forcible sodomy, sexual assault with an object, and forcible fondling.

^b The F.B.I. defines non-forcible sex offenses as: incest and statutory rape.

^c The number of persons referred for disciplinary action does not include persons arrested and reported in the arrest categories above.

Federal law requires that campus crime statistics be shown for specific locations as defined below:

• Campus: “(1) Any building or property owned or controlled by an institution within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area and used by the institution in direct support of, or in a manner related to, the institution’s educational purposes, including residence halls; and (2) Any building or property that is within or reasonably contiguous to the said area and is owned by the institution but controlled by another person, is frequently used by students, and supports institutional purposes (such as a food or other retail vendor)” 34 CFR 668.46(a). This category includes any incidents reported at University offices located at 800 E. Chestnut Street, Bellingham, adjacent to the main campus. On campus - residential facilities only is a sub-category of Campus showing the number of reported on-campus crimes that took place “in dormitories or other residential facilities for students on campus” 34 CFR 668.46(c)(4)(ii).
   
• Non-campus building or property: “(1) Any building or property owned or controlled by a student organization that is officially recognized by the institution; and (2) Any building or property owned or controlled by an institution that is used in direct support of, or in relation to, the institution’s educational purposes, is frequently used by students, and is not within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area of the institution” 34 CFR 668.46(a). This category includes any incidents reported at WWU's Lakewood facility at Lake Whatcom, Bellingham; Viqueen Lodge on Sinclair Island; the Hannegan Environmental Center, Bellingham; the Seattle Urban Center at Northgate; Shannon Point Marine Laboratory, Anacortes; and the University Center at Everett Station. For further information on Western’s off-campus facilities, see below.
   
• Public property: “All public property, including thoroughfares, streets, sidewalks, and parking facilities, that is within the campus, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus” 34 CFR 668.46(a).

Western’s Off-Campus Facilities

Western conducts off-campus academic activities that involve students at the Hannegan Environmental Center in Bellingham and the Shannon Point Marine Center in Anacortes. The Associated Students operates the Lakewood facility at Bellingham’s Lake Whatcom, as well as the Viqueen Lodge on Sinclair Island.

In addition, Western provides degree program classes on the campuses of Everett Community College; Olympic College in Bremerton; Peninsula College in Port Angeles, and North Seattle Community College. Additional crime and safety information for these locations may be obtained by calling the college’s safety office directly (contact information is provided for each off-site location, below).

[Read more of Western’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report]