How accurate are crime logs compared to students’ experience?

Graphic by Easton Clark, Photo Editor

Late at night near the outskirts of campus, freshman history and psychology double major Ashe Estep was on his way home when he was met with erratic shouts from a homeless man. An uncommon occurrence, but not unheard of. 

“I tend to walk through the town and campus at night and (I) am usually fine, but there is always that one experience that seems a little shady,” said Estep. 

According to Chapman’s Public Safety crime logs for Sept. 4 to Nov. 5, disorderly persons aren’t a common offense; however, trespassing and theft, specifically relating to bikes, are recurring problems. 

Ricardo Gonzalez, chief of Public Safety (P-Safe), said there has recently been an increase in these types of incidents. His team has been monitoring and patrolling the campus, on-foot and through camera systems, trying to combat this and other safety concerns.

“We use real-time crime maps to track these incidents and adjust our patrol accordingly,” Gonzalez told The Panther. 

In the three months recorded on the log, common locations of trespassing include the Digital Media Arts Center (DMAC) and Chapman Court. 

Sophomore strategic and corporate communication major Matthew Azuma, who lives at Court, said he sees how trespassing can be easily done.

“It’s easy for someone to wait at the door for someone else to walk through and follow them in,” said Azuma. “There are security guards, but during the day, you can still get through.”

While Azuma said he has never felt unsafe, he has heard stories from other students who also live in off-campus school apartments. 

“I usually hear stories about a homeless person or shady interactions in the surrounding areas of Court and (Chapman) Grand, but the buildings themselves don’t usually have a problem,” he said.

P-Safe has a Residential Protection Unit that specifically patrols Chapman Court, Chapman Grand and Panther Village. For monitoring safety on campus and at school-owned off-campus residence halls, P-Safe officers use surveillance cameras, license plate recognition cameras, emergency blue phones and their safety app.

P-Safe also works in conjunction with the local police department, which provides support when needed. The police department also reports any incidents that might impact students. 

In 2024, the City of Orange saw a 44% decrease in arrests relating to trespassing, assault, theft and drug-related warrants and an 18% increase in homeless-related calls for service compared to the previous year. 

Overall, the city has had a 10% decrease in crime, a decline that has been steady since 2018. 

“Aside from being a girl walking alone at night, I don’t fear for my safety around the city,” said Maia Le, a junior economics and communication studies double major.

Le, who lives at Grand, said that she has always felt safe on campus and around Orange.

“I’ve definitely heard about trespassing or other incidents, but they obviously aren’t frequent enough to cause any concern to me,” she said. “It’s definitely safer than some other college towns.”

In a review of crime rates in America’s biggest colleges and universities for 2023, the latest data available, Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley were among the top universities with high crime rates. Stanford reported a total of 306 crimes, while Berkeley’s campus saw 565 incidents that year.

As Chapman works to keep a safe campus, Gonzalez recommends that students always practice general safety precautions: never leave valuables unattended and report any suspicious activity.

“Always trust your instincts,” Gonzalez said. “If you see something, say something.”