Annual security report shows uptick in referrals since 2009

Braelyn Swan, Staff writer

Linfield’s report on campus crime shows the college’s true colors. This year’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report has been released, with records of the number of various crimes committed on campus from 2014 to 2016.

Since 2009, the number of drug and liquor conduct referrals has steadily increased from 73 liquor conduct referrals and ten drug conduct referrals to 219 liquor conduct referrals and 64 drug conduct referrals in2016.

Drug and liquor conduct referrals differ from drug and liquor law arrests, of which there were four liquor law arrests and zero drug law arrests in 2016.

Although marijuana was legalized in Oregon in 2014, in that year there were 158 drug conduct referrals and ten less drug conduct referrals in 2015.

Marijuana is not permitted on campus but it was still the source of the surge in drug conduct referrals was from 2015 to 2016.

Although Linfield has shown high numbers in drug and liquor conduct referrals in 2016, the college reports far smaller numbers in other categories. One reported burglary, one reported aggravated assault, one reported domestic violence incident and three reported stalking incidents prove to be the extent of Linfield’s crime on the McMinnville Campus.

There were zero reported sexual offenses in 2016.

While this may be due to a true lack of sexual offenses on campus, the lack of reporting may be an important factor to consider. Many do not feel comfortable or safe reporting sexual violence, only 20 percent of female student victims ages 18-24 report to law enforcement, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN).

Linfield also showed no rates of bias crime in 2016. As stated in the Security and Fire Safety Report, this is defined as “criminal activity motivated by the perpetrator’s bias toward certain actual or perceived personal characteristics of the victim.”

The McMinnville Campus reported two fires in 2016. These fires occurred in residence halls Dana and Memorial. An oven fire and a lithium battery caused these fires. Property damage costs were low for each reported fire.