University of Iowa arrests plummeted in 2014

The number of arrests and charges filed on each of Iowa's three public university campuses dropped in 2014 from the previous year.

University of Iowa saw its arrests drop by nearly half - plummeting from 1,406 in 2013 to 759 last year. Total charges filed by UI police also saw a sharp decline from 1,819 in 2013 to 972 in 2014, and its total incidents were down by more than 500, according to a new report made public Tuesday by the Board of Regents Office.

Iowa State University and University of Northern Iowa arrests and charges also were down last year, although not as dramatically. ISU reported 264 fewer arrests, and UNI police made 26 fewer arrests. UNI was the only campus that saw an increase in total incidents - 913 last year compared to 650 in 2013, according to regent documents.

Despite its drop in arrests, charges, and incidents, UI last year reported more sex offenses - three-and-a-half times more, with 14 compared to 4 in 2013. Last year's total included six reported forcible rapes, compared to none in 2013, according to the regent report.

Sex offenses dropped by one at ISU from 13 to 12, including 6 forcible rapes. And UNI saw one more sex offense with three, including two forcible rapes, according to the documents.

David Visin, interim director of the UI Department of Public Safety, said sexual violence might not actually be increasing on the UI campus. Instead, he pointed to President Sally Mason's six-point plan to combat sex assault and said those efforts might be empowering more people to report the crime.

'We are hoping victims are feeling more comfortable coming forward,” Visin said. 'We are grateful these people are coming forward, and we applaud their courage.”

Through Mason's plan, the university has enacted stricter sanctions against offenders - expelling two people since April 2014 - and increased support for survivors. It also has updated training for students, faculty, and staff and improved communication through newly-worded email warnings when sexual violence is reported to campus authorities.

As for the overall drop in UI arrests and charges, Visin said a mix of factors likely played a role. For starters, he said, this football season saw fewer alcohol violations and delinquent behavior.

'Hopefully people are just getting used to the rules,” Visin said, referencing a city ordinance prohibiting the consumption of alcohol on public streets or grounds.

Police resources probably are not tied to the arrest decline, Visin said, explaining that staffing always ebbs and flows, and 2014 saw no significant shortages. Regardless of the reason, he said, the declining numbers could be a good sign.

'I think it's a step in the right direction,” Visin said, adding that it could mean university officials are succeeding in 'changing the campus environment.”