New crime statistics confirm Towson University is the safest in the USM

By Pam Gorsuch on October 12, 2017

Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) statistics released for 2016 reveal Towson University has the lowest number of part I crimes per capita of all University System of Maryland (USM) schools. This marks the eighth time in the last nine years that TU has been the safest campus in the USM.

UCR reports the total number of part I crimes per 1,000 students. There were 3.49 crimes per 1,000 students at TU, compared with 5.79 at the University of Maryland Baltimore County and 9.19 at the University of Maryland College Park. Comparatively, the Greater Baltimore area has 33 crimes per 1,000 residents. 

Part I crimes are more serious criminal offenses that universities are required to track and report. They range from basic property crimes such as theft to violent crimes including robbery, assault and rape. In 2016, two violent crimes and 76 property crimes occurred on TU’s campus for a total of 78 part I crimes—a 37 percent reduction from 2015 and the lowest number of overall crimes since before 1995.

“This accolade belongs to every member of the campus community who practices good crime prevention methods and to our TUPD officers who work diligently to prevent, investigate and solve crimes,” said TU Chief of Police Bernie Gerst. “We encourage our students, faculty and staff to watch the campus safety videos, sign up for emergency alerts and practice proven crime prevention methods to help keep themselves—and our campus—safe.” 

The full UCR report (PDF) is released each October and available on the TUPD's Crime Reports website.