U. Police release corrected figures

University Police Commissioner John Kuprevich said yesterday that his department released incorrect crime statistics to The Daily Pennsylvanian which showed a 98 percent increase in serious crimes from 1991 to 1992. Kuprevich, who attributed the mistake late last month to "human error," said those crimes -- murders, rapes, robberies and assaults -- actually increased by 14 percent in that time. "The [crime] situation on this campus is not as bad as it was portrayed," Kuprevich said. He added that the revised statistics are an honest correction. "We're not hiding anything," he said. "We stand committed to being open about what's going on." New statistics by Kuprevich reveal that there were 79 instances of crimes against persons in 1992 as compared to 69 in 1991. But he said even an increase of 10 instances is too much and has driven University Police to change its focus. "We're focusing back on campus from off campus," Kuprevich said. "We are very concerned about what we saw. This can't continue as a trend on campus." The revised statistics also reveal that University Police improved arrest rates for crimes against persons, from 26 percent in 1991 to 38 percent in 1992. Crime against persons, both on and off campus, went down from the last academic year to this year, while crimes against property increased significantly, the statistics show. The number of serious crimes decreased from 29 logged between September 1991 and March 1992, to 23 reported between September 1992 and March 1993 on campus, and from 112 to 72 off campus. Kuprevich said the "real" crime increases for 1992 are property-related. Reported incidents rose from 1,298 in 1991 to 1,354 in 1992. The statistics reveal that the largest increases came in burglaries without forced entry, thefts of knapsacks and wallets, thefts of property from lockers in atheltic areas and theft of property from autos. "As far as unattended property theft goes, people need to make a difference in this area," Kuprevich said. "Keep [your property] with you or keep a watchful eye on it." Kuprevich said the focus of University Police is to decrease crime against persons on campus but said it is difficult to measure the crime that is deterred. "Part of what isn't reflected is what we prevent," he said. The commissioner also attributed the rise in crime between 1991 and 1992 to changing social conditions. "The social climate between 1991 and 1992 has gotten worse," Kuprevich said. "More people are out of jobs. More people are desperate in society." Kuprevich added that by doubling the number of University Police officers, the reporting of crimes on campus was bound to increase. "We think we will see higher numbers for a few years," he said. "[These are] not new crimes. They are crimes that have been there but are now being reported." Kuprevich said his department is trying to facilitate change. "We want to make a real difference and that often does not occur overnight," he said.

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