Content warning: This article contains mention of sexual misconduct. University Counseling services are available at 609-258-3141.
The 2024 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report indicated a significant rise in judicial referrals due to liquor law violations, a decrease in on-campus drug law violations, and several changes to policy on illegal drugs and sexual harassment reporting.
The Security and Fire Safety Report was released by the Department of Public Safety (DPS) on Sep. 27, 2024, and contains data about reported crime on campus over the last three years — 2023, 2022, and 2021.
According to data from the report, there were 262 liquor law violations resulting in judicial referrals in 2023, a marked increase from the 57 violations of the same classification that were reported in 2022. Meanwhile, on-campus drug law violations decreased from four judicial referrals in 2022 to one in 2023. Additionally, compared to the two previous years, there were overall fewer reported sexual assaults on campus in 2023.
All of the 262 reported liquor law violations took place on Princeton’s campus, as opposed to on a non-campus private or public property. 61 of the reported violations occurred in a residential facility, an increase from the 35 and 38 violations in this category reported in 2022 and 2021, respectively.
The report noted that the “significant rise” in judicial referrals for on-campus liquor law violations in 2023 was “largely due to a single incident involving 176 students.” The Daily Princetonian could not independently verify the incident of note.
Per the report, liquor law violations refer to the “violation of laws or ordinances prohibiting: the manufacture, sale, transporting, furnishing or possession of intoxicating liquor.” The maintenance of “unlawful drinking places,” providing of alcohol to a minor, use of a vehicle to illegally transport liquor, and consumption of alcohol on public transport are all considered violations. However, “drunkenness and driving under the influence are not included in this definition,” the report noted.
No arrests for liquor law violations were reported for the years 2021, 2022, or 2023.
In 2023, there were no arrests for drug law violations, and only one judicial referral for on-campus violations, down from four in 2022, and three in 2021. However, three violations were reported in non-campus buildings or property, resulting in a total of four judicial referrals for drug law violations — the same as in 2022. There was one arrest for a drug-law violation in 2022.
The report also contains several changes to DPS policy on illegal drugs, now clarifying that the prohibition of the use and possession of cannabis on campus extends to “all University facilities and grounds, and on all University-sponsored programs.” The 2023 report read, “the University also prohibits the use and possession of cannabis on campus.”
The “unlawful manufacture, dispensing, possession, use or distribution of a controlled substance of any kind in any amount” is also clarified to be included on University-sponsored programs. In the 2023 report, the policy had only applied to activities on University property or “while conducting University business away from the campus.”
Violations of Princeton’s policies, or local, state, or federal laws on illegal drugs, per the report, “may prompt University disciplinary action and/or arrest regardless of where such violations occur if they are of a serious nature.”
Overall, there were fewer criminal offenses reported in 2023 than in 2022 and 2021. According to the report, both years saw a total of 70 criminal offenses, while 2023 had 55. These offenses include motor vehicle theft, sexual assault, aggravated assault, burglary, and hate crime.
Golf carts, motorized scooters, and motorized bicycles are all considered to be motor vehicles by the Department of Education. In 2023, 34 motorized scooters and two motorized bicycle thefts were reported. Comparatively, there were 50 motorized vehicle thefts in 2022, and 42 in 2021.
There were no criminal offenses reported at the Princeton Forrestal Campus in 2023, 2022, or 2021.
While there were fewer reported sex offenses in 2023 relative to previous years — a total of seven, compared to 10 in 2022 and 15 in 2021 — and no incidents of dating violence reported, there were four reports of domestic violence and four of stalking. In 2022, there were no reports of domestic violence and four of stalking.
The report noted that “this section only includes sex offenses reported to University officials, not those reported to confidential counselors.” These statistics are provided separately, “including on appropriate University websites and in the body of the Clery Report,” with an additional 35 total incidents of sexual assault, dating violence offenses, fondling offenses, and stalking incidents reported to confidential counselors in 2023.
Another change to Princeton’s safety policies, as outlined in the report, pertains to the statute of limitations on incidents of sexual violence.
Evidence collected following an incident of sexual violence may be collected even if the victim in the incident chooses not to report the crime to law enforcement. The evidence may be collected and held for a period of 20 years, according to the report, “to allow the victim time to decide whether to report [the crime] to law enforcement.” Conversely, the 2023 report stated that incidents of sexual violence were subject to a five-year statute of limitations.
The 2023 report noted that members of the University community “who seek University action in response to an act of sexual misconduct” can contact DPS for “assistance in filing a criminal complaint.” This has been expanded in the 2024 report to include “assistance in filing a criminal or civil complaint (i.e., restraining order).”
The report concludes with fire statistics for the calendar years of 2023, 2022, and 2021. In 2023, five fires were reported in student housing, as a result of “electric scooter failure,” “clothes dryer,” “bedding stored on a stove,” and two incidents of “careless cooking.”
There were no injuries or deaths related to the fires, and all incidents “only had minor to no property damage.”
The Security and Fire Safety Report is published every year by Oct. 1, as mandated by the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act of 1990.
Victoria Davies is an assistant News editor for the ‘Prince’ who covers University Operations.
Vivien Wong is a News contributor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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