Overall crime statistics for the U-M in 1993 fell for the third year in a row, according to a report released last week by the Department of Public Safety (DPS).
But an increase in categories of serious crimes, including burglaries and aggravated assaults, has safety officials concerned about what they see as a growing trend of violence and gang-related activity in the Ann Arbor area.
“We’re seeing a pattern of crimes that is consistent with the presence of gangs,” said Leo J. Heatley, director of public safety. “A countywide group of law enforcement officials met Oct. 11 to discuss how we can work together to combat this problem.”
Campus police have stepped up the number of bicycle and foot patrols in response to recent incidents on campus.
The statistics released by DPS also include a growing number of arrests and citations in 1993 for alcohol and drug violations—more than double the number in 1992. Those figures reflect more vigorous enforcement, said Heatley, including joint U-M and Ann Arbor police patrols on weekend evenings.
The report notes that number of reported incidents of criminal sexual conduct has continued to decline since 1991.
