Statistics given to Eagle News by UPD show there has been a significant increase in criminal activity this year compared to crime statistics from last year.
From August to October 2015, there have been four DUI arrests, 315 traffic warnings, 150 traffic citations and 14 other arrests. Last year, during the entire academic year, there were a total of 10 DUIs, 852 traffic warnings, 488 traffic citations and 13 arrests.
The actual numbers for the fall semester of 2015 so far may be higher, but the numbers per month aren’t much greater than in 2014. The monthly crime rate has increased by 2.5 percent.
“The activity reported is completely officer-initiated traffic, DUI, zero tolerance, drug NTAs from traffic, warnings,” said UPD Chief Steven Moore. “UPD is keeping our community members safe by being proactive with this activity. We do enforce all traffic laws — DUI, zero tolerance, speed, stop signs.”
In 2014, 14,488 students were enrolled at FGCU, and in 2015, 14,673 students are enrolled, which means there are 185 additional students this year.
Eagle News compared the FGCU crime statistics in 2014 with those from UNF, which had 16,187 students enrolled in 2014, and all of FGCU’s numbers were higher except for DUI arrests.
“We have lots of pedestrian, bike and skateboard activity on campus, and we want everyone to be safe,” Moore said. “Students need to make the proper decisions and not drink and drive, or use other illegal substances while operating a vehicle.”
Final 2015 statistics will be available and released to the public in January 2016.