Crime reports drop steadily at college

Crime at Orange Coast College has dropped by more than half over the last three years and by more than 33% in 2006 compared with 2005, according to a recently released annual report.

The college’s public safety department handled 24 crimes in 2006, most of which involved burglaries and vehicle thefts. There were 36 in 2005, 48 in 2004 and 52 in 2003. There have been no reports of murder, rape or robbery on campus for several years.

“Most of our crimes are crimes of opportunity, not confrontation — burglarized vehicles, stolen bicycles and graffiti,” said John Farmer, the department’s chief.

Crime has steadily decreased because of increased campus patrols, Farmer said. The college has 18 officers and 18 students who help write tickets who also keep an eye out for crime. That has also boosted police presence on campus, Farmer said.

The department also patrols the campus throughout the year and watches over the weekend swap meet held in the parking lot off Adams Avenue.

Mostly, the campus police handle the crime in house, but sometimes if a student insists on pressing charges the local police will get involved.

The main problem campus police have been wrestling with involves people posing as magazine salesmen to get personal information for identity theft. Some of these scammers zero in on the women on campus to get addresses or phone numbers and stalk them, Farmer said.

“When we get called on that, we detain them, harass them and call the police so that they realize we mean business and start going somewhere else,” Farmer said.

Another problem is an increase in graffiti, Farmer said. It doesn’t seem to be one person or gang, Farmer said. Markings pop up all over campus, mainly on bathroom stalls and walls, he said.

A more detailed statistical breakdown of all reported crimes for the last three years is available on OCC’s website, www.orangecoastcollege.edu Click on “About OCC,” “Parking & Public Safety” and finally “Statistics.”