CSU Tops For Campus Muggings, Akron For Weapons Charges
POSTED: 3:10 pm EST February 15,
2008
UPDATED: 5:33 pm EST February 15,
2008
CLEVELAND -- A campus shooting at Northern Illinois University on Thursday left six people dead, including the shooter, 27-year-old Steven Kazmierczak, after he opened fire in a lecture hall.In light of this and other recent shootings, school security is becoming a major concern for everyone on campus, but other crimes are scaring some local students even more, reported NewsChannel5's Joy Benedict.Case Western Reserve University student Kelly Kanya may have been hundreds of miles away from where the latest shooting took place, but in her mother's mind, she was still in danger."She was very concerned and wanted to make sure I was OK," Kanya said.She and her fellow students may be physically OK this time, but emotionally, it was a different story."Yes, it's a little scary just how everything can change so quickly. It seems like it happens more and more," one student said.Despite having a campus shooting several years ago, Case students said the crimes that concern them most don't make national headlines, such as muggings.So what crimes should students be concerned about? NewsChannel5 looked at crime reports from some of the largest schools in the area.The University of Akron had the most arrests for illegal weapons on campus, when compared to student numbers.Nearly one in every 200 at Ohio State University has his or her home or dorm room burglarized.When it comes to robberies and muggings, Cleveland State tops the list.As for rape reports, Ohio State's numbers are significantly higher.Regardless of statistics, students at Case said they feel safe."I think the campus police do a good job of keeping crime out of campus," a student said.When it comes to the most horrific crimes, whether at Northern Illinois, Virginia Tech, or even Case, students said that school shootings are unpredictable, and it's clear they can happen anywhere.Schools are required to report crime data, and face a $27,000 fine if they misreport.Experts caution not to rely solely on crime data when selecting a school, because they each have different surroundings.For more information on college campus crime stats, go to www.securityoncampus.org.
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