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Increasing Crime on Campus Highlights Risk of Assault, Fraud

College campuses in Tennessee aren’t just places where a lot of learning takes place; according to new data from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, they are also hotbeds for criminal activity, including assaults, fraud, larceny, and theft. The TBI issued its “Crime on Campus” report, which showed that overall crime increased 0.8 percent in 2016, and the biggest gains were in the number of assault and drug offenses.

The number of fraud cases increased by 8 percent in 2016, with many of those including impersonation fraud, such as identity theft. The TBI reported that there were 36 cases of identity theft on the state’s college campuses in 2016, which was up from just 13 the previous year. The number of assault cases rose 21 percent in 2016. In particular, the number of aggravated assault cases rose 31 percent. The number of kidnapping cases also rose from just two in 2015 to 11 in 2016.

The positive news out of the TBI report was that the number of rape cases on college campuses were down. There were 45 reported cases of rape in 2016, compared with 62 reported cases in 2015. Overall, the violent crime rate for college campuses in the state fell by 3 percent.

Traditionally, the most common types of crime on college campuses are larceny and theft. The most recent TBI report showed that these continued to be the most common crimes, accounting for 27 percent of all crime on campus.

College campuses should be places where you can go to learn, not where you have to fear for your safety or for the protection of your valuables. Many campuses are doing a better job of increasing security and of handling crime reports better, but more work needs to be done. Too many students continue to be attacked or to become victims of theft, and many are still too scared to report some crimes to college or local authorities.

If you have been the victim of any type of crime on a college campus, it is important that you report it (if you feel you can) and that you work with an experienced Franklin criminal lawyer who can pursue justice for you. I’m Judy A. Oxford, and I’m a Franklin criminal attorney who has been helping college students and their families get the justice they deserve for years.

Call my office at (615) 791-8511 or use the secure online form to schedule a free consultation for your criminal case. I will help you understand your legal rights and prepare you for what to expect from prosecuting your case.