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KANSAN.COM
NEWS
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Clery data shows rise in sex offenses, dating and domestic violence, and burglary at KU
BLAKE MCFARLAND
@theblakemc
Campus crime reported under the Federal Clery Act, rose last year, according to data released on Wednesday.
The University is required to report campus crime to the federal government. Sex offenses, dating and domestic violence, and burglary all rose from 2013 to 2014.
"Last year when we did our crime statistics we noticed the same thing," said University Police Captain James Anguiano. "Crime did take an increase last year — the reporting of crime and the recognition of crime. There's just more reporting."
In the report, each of these categories are broken down into "on campus" and "non campus" to distinguish where these crimes happen. On-campus is considered anything that is controlled physically at the University. Non-campus is anything that KU has "a vital interest in", which includes fraternities and sororites. The Edwards Campus in Overland Park is also considered to be under the off-campus category, according to Anguiano.
Anguiano said University-wide bystander prevention programs may be helping increase reporting.
“There always more to do. I think the programs are doing their job.” Anguiano said. “In those cases, especially the stalking and dating violence, we're seeing a high arrest rate as well, and that itself is a positive.”
Over all, the number of sex offenses rose from 15 to 32. In 2014 alone, 16 sex offences occurred in campus residential facilities.
"I think part of it is [that] those types of numbers when
you see them rise can alarm you, and I think that it is also the diligence of the reporting." Anguiano said. "We would like
to see more people report if they had been the victim of a sexual assault."
— Edited by Maddie Farber
Mystery bug bites on campus likely coming from mites
CASSIDY RITTER
@CassidyRitter
Students and faculty across campus have noticed itchy, red bites on their arms, legs and torso. Elizabeth Newell, a freshman from St. Louis, Mo., said she notices about two new bites a day. When she talked to the front desk at Lewis Hall they told her it was most likely from a mite.
"This is an environmental mite ... This is not something the students are getting in the residence halls or the scholarship halls."
DOUGLAS DECHAIRO Director of Watkins
After speaking with other residents, Newell heard the bites could be from mites, spiders or bed bugs. Diana Robertson, director of student housing at the University, said they haven't been able to verify a rumor about bed bugs, but have heard that the oak leaf itch mites.
There have been an increased number of calls about bites and itching, but students haven't been seeing the bugs, Robertson said. The bugs' invisible nature indicates the bites are from mites, specifically from oak leaf itch mites, said Stan Ring, horticulture program assistant at the University's Douglas County Extension Office.
What are oak leaf itch mites?
"This is an environmental mite," said Douglas Deairch,
director of Watkins Health Services. "This is not something the students are getting in the residence halls or the scholarship halls."
These mites are nearly invisible to the eye and are about 0.2 mm in length, according to the Entomology Department at Penn State.
Oak leaf itch mites come from infected oak trees, which are distinguished by curling on the edge of leaves, Ring said. The mites crawl into the oak tree and lay eggs that hatch within seven days. Once they hatch, "they land on anything that they can start reproducing on," Ring said. While they don't hatch on humans, they wait about three to four hours to bite once they land on a person, Ring said.
What do the bites look like?
Unlike chiggers, oak leaf itch mites prefer loose clothing and will bite through clothing leaving "nasty welts" ranging from 0.2mm to the size of a dime, said Ring. He said scratching these bites spreads histamine, which makes them look larger.
"From personal experience, they can last a good week," said Ring.
When will these mites leave Lawrence?
Ring said the mites will be around until the first "good, hard freeze," but there is no indication they won't be back.
Even though students are not seeing the mites, Robertson said students can call Housing with concerns. Robertson said spiders were more problematic in Corbin and GSP Halls, but the issue was treated inside and outside the buildings roughly two weeks ago.
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