Emerson data confirm low crime rate on campus

Data contained in Emerson College's just released 2009 annual report on campus security indicates that the campus remains extremely safe, with virtually no violent on-campus crime reported.

The report, which presents data for 2008 and the two preceding years, is published online.

In 2008, students, faculty, and staff reported only one incidence of aggravated assault for the entire year. No other violent crimes (such as robberies, rapes, murders, etc.) occurred on campus. There were 10 reported burglaries. Five occurred in student residence halls and the remainder in offices or other campus spaces, such as the library. The crime rate was slightly lower than in the previous year (2007), during which there had been 2 forcible sex offenses, 2 aggravated assaults, and 16 burglaries on campus.

Emerson has 4,290 degree students, 259 professional studies students, 176 full-time faculty, and 427 staff.

"Providing a secure environment for our students to live and learn in is a high priority," said Chief of Public Safety George Noonan. "When our students are in Emerson buildings and on campus, our 23 public safety officers and 77 security guards provide a significant security presence and are always available to assist our community."

With some 200,000 students attending more than 100 local colleges and universities, Boston is considered one of the leading college communities in the country. "Boston is a great college town," said Emerson President Jacqueline Liebergott. "It has unmatched resources for a city its size in terms of history, museums, libraries, theater, entertainment, and professional sports. It's a major media market and an increasingly important hub for the arts. In short, it's an ideal environment for students wishing to study communication and the arts."

While crime rates in Boston are generally lower than in other large cities like New York, Los Angeles, or Washington, D.C., Chief Noonan notes that crime is a fact of life in all American cities. He said students, faculty, and staff need to be aware of their urban environment and learn how to navigate the city safely.

In addition to providing statistics on campus crime, Emerson publishes information about criminal activities that occur in public spaces adjacent to the campus, as required by a federal law called the Clery Act. "We hope that providing this information will reinforce the need for members of our community to take common sense precautions that will increase their personal safety," Chief Noonan said. "These measures include avoiding walking alone at night, staying out of public parks late at night, and avoiding carrying or wearing excessive valuables."

In 2008, 124 aggravated assaults and robberies occurred in the public spaces adjacent to campus as defined by the Clery Act. Only six of these involved Emerson students.

While Emerson is no longer required to include crimes that occur on the Boston Common and at the Boylston Street Green Line subway station in its Clery data, the College continues to publish this data in its own annual report on crime and security as a service to the College community and the public.

"The statistics presented in the 2008 report clearly show that Emerson is an extremely safe campus, and not one of the most dangerous campuses in the country as suggested recently by an online news blog called the Daily Beast," said Andy Tiedemann, the College's vice president for communications and marketing. "It was an irresponsible report based on a flawed methodology. Without analyzing the data to take into account the differences between on- and off-campus crime, the editors used accurate numbers to draw a completely erroneous conclusion."

"The Clery Act was intended to ensure that Colleges inform students and their families on an annual basis about violent crimes against students on campus," Tiedemann said. "It was never intended to be used in this way and it frankly distorts the campus safety reality and needlessly threatens to damage the reputation of many fine institutions, including Emerson."