Statewide crime stats list UT Martin among safest

The Messenger 04.12.10
The University of Tennessee at Martin is the safest of the four-year public institutions in Tennessee in the most recent statewide crime statistics released.
Additionally, for crimes that are committed, the UT Martin Department of Public Safety has one of the best crime clearance rates.
“UT Martin students continue to learn and grow in one of the safest environments in the South,” UT Martin Chancellor Tom Rakes said. “Our staff continues to work hard adjusting and improving public safety to ensure we are prepared for a variety of potential situations.”
According to crime statistics for 2009 released by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, UT Martin ranked as the safest campus in the state among Tennessee Board of Regents and UT institutions, with the least amount of reported offenses per 1,000 in population. UT Martin’s clearance rate (cases solved) was almost double the statewide average of 28 percent for those same institutions.
“Statewide, college campuses have experienced significant increases in incidents since the last report, but we show a significant decrease,” said Scott Robbins, UT Martin director of public safety.
“The greatest decrease was in the theft of property category, which was almost cut in half,” said Robbins, who attributes the drop to the “campus community taking pro-active steps to secure and/or maintain control of their property and watching out for each other.”
He noted that a “Security Mindset” awareness program adopted by numerous campus departments also produced positive results.
The past decade, UT Martin’s crime rate consistently has been lower than national and state averages for campuses and the index crime clearance rate higher.

Print