University junior Sara Green has lived in Eugene for two years. She said that while she has never felt threatened, she knows to keep her bike locked up and her personal belongings close at hand.
“My bike was stolen my second week here,” she said. “I learned my lesson.”
It’s possible others have learned that lesson in the same way, or perhaps thievery is on the decline. Either way, the crime rate for person, property and behavioral crimes in Eugene dropped 5.6 percent from 2001 to 2002, according to Eugene Police Department reports.
The University area in particular also saw a decrease in crime, while both the South University and West University neighborhoods saw an increase in person, property and behavioral crimes.
EPD Spokeswoman Kerry Delf noted that percentage changes from one year to the next don’t necessarily mean crime is changing for better or worse.
Bike thefts increased in the city of Eugene, from 732 in 2001 to 897 in 2002, a 22.5 percent increase. On campus, bike theft increased 73.7 percent, jumping from 118 cases in 2001 to 205 cases in 2002. There was no change in the South University neighborhood, but in the West University neighborhood, bike thefts increased from 86 in 2001 to 111 in 2002, a 29.1 percent increase.
EPD Crime Prevention Specialist Tod Schneider recommends that people buy a heavy duty, U-Bolt-style lock.
“Always lock your bike, or assume it will be stolen,” he said. “Standard cable locks will not be adequate.” He added that if people can get around without a fancy bike, they have a better chance of their bicycle not being stolen.
Rape incidents also increased in Eugene. There were 40 cases reported in 2001 and 55 in 2002 — a 37.5 percent increase.
Other sex offenses in Eugene increased 13.0 percent, with 216 reported cases in 2001 compared to 244 reported cases in 2002. At the University, there were eight cases of sex offenses in 2001 and 17 in 2002. Sex offense counts in the West University and South University both doubled, with West University going from 10 cases in 2001 to 20 cases in 2002 and South University going from three cases in 2001 to six cases in 2002.
Schneider said there are some basic precautions people can take to avoid situations where rape and sex offenses might happen.
“Buddy up — there is strength in numbers,” he said. He added that women should familiarize themselves with Project Saferide, a transportation service that only serves female students.
“Any place walking by yourself makes you vulnerable,” Schneider said. “Avoid isolated areas, especially at night.”
Burglaries dropped in Eugene from 1,237 cases in 2001 to 1,209 in 2002, a 2.3 percent decrease. Residential burglaries increased, however, in all three areas. At the University, burglary cases jumped from 19 in 2001 to 29 in 2002, a 52.6 percent increase. In the West University neighborhood, incidents increased 37.3 percent — from 67 cases in 2001 to 92 cases in 2002 — and in the South University neighborhood, burglary went from 24 cases in 2001 to 28 cases in 2002, a 16.7 percent increase.
Schneider said petty theft can easily be prevented.
“Take basic precautions in terms of securing your personal belongings — your house, your dorm room,” he said. “Don’t leave things like laptops unprotected.”
Stolen property cases rose slightly in Eugene, from 138 cases in 2001 to 148 cases in 2002, a 7.2 percent increase. On campus, there were two cases of stolen property in 2001, versus four in 2002. In the West University neighborhood, stolen property cases jumped from only three cases in 2001 to 10 in 2002. There were no statistics available for stolen property in the South University neighborhood.
Theft from a vehicle also had an overall rise in Eugene; such thefts were up 6.9 percent with 2,164 cases in 2001 to 2,313 in 2002. All three neighborhoods had an increase as well, with the campus area going from 46 cases in 2001 to 61 cases in 2002, a 32.6 percent increase. The West University neighborhood increasing 18.8 percent — from 69 cases in 2001 to 82 cases in 2002 — and the South University neighborhood jumped from 129 cases in 2001 to 175 cases in 2002, a 35.7 percent increase.
Finally, liquor violations throughout Eugene fell 4.5 percent, from 1,659 cases in 2001 to 1,584 in 2002. Liquor violations also decreased 10.7 percent on campus, from 121 cases in 2001 to 108 in 2002. However, liquor violations in both the West University and South University neighborhoods increased. Such violations increased from 322 cases in 2001 to 384 in 2002 in the West University neighborhood, a 19.3 percent increase. The South University figure increased 59.5 percent, from 42 cases in 2001 to 67 in 2002.
Some final advice Schneider gave was to be careful, especially in situations where there is alcohol involved.
“At night, when you have been drinking, your risk factor is four times greater than during the day when you are sober,” he said.