Annual FSU Police Report Reveals Dramatic Decrease in Alcohol and Drug Arrests

The Frostburg State University Police Department released their 2019-2020 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report on Monday, Oct. 5. The report contains statistics for the previous three calendar years regarding crimes that occurred on campus, in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by the university, and on public property within or immediately adjacent to and accessible to the campus. The full report can be found here.

Among the findings in the report is that crime, in general, has decreased from 2017 to 2019 at FSU. There were demonstrated decreases in incidents of rape, burglary, and robbery. There are some exceptions, including a single statutory rape in 2019, up from zero in 2018 and 2017.

However, there was a surprising and dramatic decrease in liquor law and drug arrests over the last year, from 2018 to 2019.

Indeed, liquor law arrests decreased by 76% from the prior year and, in fact, in 2019 there were only two on-campus and two nearby campus residence liquor law arrests. In 2018, there were 17 liquor law arrests. Moreover, drug arrests decreased by one-third from 2018 to 2019. The number of liquor law and drug referrals for campus disciplinary action remained consistent, however.

The report also offers a glimpse into violence against women on campus and reveals that dating violence incidents at FSU decreased by half, from eight events in 2018 to four in 2019.

This annual report from FSUPD is required by law, following the passage of the Clery Act in 1990. The federal statute mandates that all colleges and universities that participate in financial aid programs keep and disclose information about crime on and near their campuses. The law requires that the security report be published by Oct. 1 each year. FSUPD did not announce the repodrrt’s completion until Monday, Oct. 5 and, according to the document, it was last modified on Oct. 2.

For more information about FSUPD’s Clery Act Compliance, visit the University Police page. One of the purposes of the Clery Act is to encourage reporting and disclosure of accurate campus crime statistics. If you wish to report an incident, an online reporting form can be found here.