Lake Forest College proved to be a relatively safe small liberal arts college during the 2016 academic year in comparison to similar-sized schools across the Midwest.
According to clerycenter.org, under rules outlined in the Jeanne Clery Act, a consumer protection law that aims to provide transparency around campus crime statistics, institutions must distribute their security report annually by October 1.
The Stentor’s comparison of similar-sized schools that are fellow members of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM) showed Lake Forest College as leading in liquor-law arrests with 25 arrests reported last year. Since 2014, the number of liquor-law arrests at the College have increased steadily since then with 18 arrests in 2015.
In regard to why Lake Forest College leads in liquor-law arrests, Director of Public Safety Richard Cohen provided an explanation via email.
“I have not looked at what other institutions have reported yet, but can tell you that the primary driver behind our number (25 in 2016) is that the Lake Forest Police (LFPD) responds to every Lake Forest Fire Department (LFFD) ambulance call,” he said. “In situations in which we (or anyone else) call LFFD to obtain an alcohol poisoning assessment by paramedics, LFPD is also on scene. If the subject needing the assessment is under 21 (as is often the case), LFPD issues the individual an administrative hearing citation, which technically constitutes an arrest and release with agreement to appear before a hearing officer (judge).”
Luther College, located in Decorah, Iowa, had the most arrests for drug-related violations with 10 cases.
Lawrence University, another ACM school, had 35 sexual offenses last year. Unlike many other schools in the study, Lawrence University’s report, available on their website, did not report specific categories like “forcible rape,” and “fondling.” “Sexual assault” includes rape, fondling, incest, or statutory rape, according to the Clery Act.
Located in Appleton, Wisconsin, with a total enrollment of 1,532 students, Lawrence University has seen over a 300 percent increase in sexual offenses since 2015, when the reported number of sexual offenses was eight.
The director of campus safety at Lawrence University did not respond to phone call or voicemail on October 20 asking for information on the number of reported sexual assaults. Kimberly Jones, Title IX coordinator, also did not return a call or voicemail earlier in the week for the same information.
Students have been calling for better handling of sexual assault cases at the University for years, according to stories from the Post-Crescent. In March 2016, the network reported on a silent protest outside the headquarters of the Lawrence University administration of at least 50 students in response to controversy over student Thomas Skoog, 22 at the time, who was suspended after being charged with possession of child pornography.
Lawrence University also had 14 cases of dating violence according to their reports—the highest in 2016.
Colorado College had the highest amount of disciplinary referrals for liquor law and drug violation referrals, with 230 and 195, respectively.
Although marijuana is legal under Colorado Law, the use and possession of the substance is forbidden, according to the college’s website.
Crime statistics submitted under the Clery Act are self-reported by the institutions.
Cohen said that the crime statistics show the accuracy of reporting from Lake Forest College and the success of the actions taken to ensure safety.
“I believe that people who take the time to examine our statistics, along with all of the other information contained in the ASR (Annual Security Report), will see that Lake Forest College is a very safe campus that takes alcohol use/abuse, illegal drug use, and all matters related to sexual misconduct quite seriously,” he said.
The top three institutions and their crime number are listed below.
On Campus Forcible Rape: Colorado College (14), Coe College (13), Beloit College (10)
Forcible Fondling: St. Olaf College (9), Knox College (8), Grinnell College (6)
Robbery on Campus: N/A
Robbery Off Campus: Beloit College (1)
Aggravated Assault: Beloit College (3), Carleton College (1), Coe College (1), Lake Forest College (1), Luther College (1), St. Olaf College (1)
Burglary: Knox College (15), Beloit College (9), St. Olaf College (6)
Arson: Ripon College (1), Grinnell College (1)
Motor Vehicle Theft: Macalester College (2), St. Olaf College (2), Colorado College (2)
Arrests for Liquor Law Violations: Lake Forest College (25), Lawrence University (12), Carleton College (4)
Arrests for Drug-Related Violations: Luther College (10), Grinnell College (6), Carleton College (6)
Arrests for Weapon Possession: N/A
Liquor Law Disciplinary Referrals: Colorado College (230), Macalester College (165), St. Olaf College (118)
Drug-Related Disciplinary Referrals: Colorado College (195), Carleton College (76), Macalester College (75)
Weapon-Related Disciplinary Referrals: N/A
Domestic Violence: Knox College (5), Grinnell College (4), Lawrence University (2)
Dating Violence: Lawrence University (14), Grinnell College (6), Knox College (5)
Stalking: Macalester College (7), Grinnell College (5), Lake Forest College (4)
