The total amount of crime at Sacramento State has generally decreased since October 2005, according to the Campus Security annual report.

The report, part of the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, was released by the University Police Department earlier this month.

The act requires colleges and universities across the United States to disclose information about crime on and around their campuses, campus police said.

Although the total amount of crime has gone down, in some categories, the amount has actually increased.

In the annual report, crimes are broken up into eight categories: criminal homicide; which is separated to distinguish between murder and non-negligent homicide and negligent manslaughter; sex offenses (separated to distinguish between forcible and non-forcible acts); robbery; aggravated assault; burglary; motor vehicle theft; arson and hate crimes, according to the Student Press Law Center.

In 2004, there were 44 cases of motor vehicle theft on campus, compared to 13 in 2005. The total number of motor vehicle thefts in the report, which includes residential facilities, on-campus and off-campus property and public property, was 253 in 2004. In 2005, there were only 33.

There was only one incident in the hate crimes category involving race in 2005 compared to two cases in 2004. In 2003, there were four hate crime cases involving race.

No hate crimes against gender, ethnicity or disability were reported.

In 2004, there was one crime against sexual orientation and two against religion. In 2005, there were none of either.

In regards to the increase in crime, the number of arrests has increased on campus in three categories: liquor law violations ?” two in 2004 compared to three in 2005?” drug violations ?” 10 in 2004 compared to 29 in 2005 ?” and weapons violations, which had none in 2004 compared to four in 2005.

Campus police said they want the campus community to know the report is available for them.

“Students should know where this report is available,” said Campus Police Chief Ken Barnett. “We put it out at our counter in the Public Services Building. We also put it out in the Library, and also in Student Affairs. It’s also available online.”

Students showed interest in the report and the crime log.

“I look at the (police crime log) every now and then,” said criminal justice major Marco Basuel. “I believe it’s every student’s right to know what’s going on.”

The act was named after Jeanne Clery, a 19-year-old Lehigh University freshman who was raped and murdered while asleep in her residence hall room on April 5, 1986.

Jeanne’s parents, Connie and Howard, discovered that students hadn’t been told about 38 violent crimes on the Lehigh campus in the three years before her murder. They joined with other campus crime victims and persuaded Congress to enact this law, which was originally known as the “Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990,” according to the campus police website.

“I think one of the important things we stress whenever we do any of our crime prevention presentations is that we’re a small agency.” Barnett said. “We have our own city here, and we need the community to tell us things. So if they’re aware of something that seems odd, or could be a crime, or whatever, don’t hesitate to call us.”

Tom Roberts can be reached at [email protected]