12 | THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN | WWW.KANSAN.COM | News | WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 2008
》 CRIME AND WEATHER
Hotter days could result in longer nights for police
BY CHRISTINE D'AMICO cdamico@kansan.com
Police responded to an aggravated battery at the Westminster Inn, 2525 W. Sixth St on Thursday. A male employee had asked guests at a motel to quiet down. According to reports, the guest thought otherwise and punched the man in the face. The temperature that night was 86 degrees.
In summer months Lawrence residents have to deal with balmy nights and unbearable hot days. But could the hot humid conditions also lead to Lawrence residents dealing with
higher crime rates?
Edwin Grant Dexter, president of the National Society for the Study of Education in the early 1900s, was the first to draw a connection between hotter days and higher crime. His research was initially overlooked by the law enforcement offices, however, more bureaus, including the FBI, have begun to draw similar conclusions.
Ellen Cohn, associate professor at the school of criminal justice at Florida International University, attributes the rise in summer crime to school cycles. In summer months more students are left unattended with nothing to do. The boredom
essentially leads to rise in thefts and auto burglaries.
The agitation created by hot conditions and crowds may also account for the rise in assaults.
Last weekend police responded to a fight that broke out at the Cadillac Ranch, 2515 W. Sixth St. Witnesses say that two to three groups of people were involved in the altercation that left one man with a laceration on his head. The temperature that night was 85 degrees.
According to Cohn, crime rates increase with temperature peaking at around 85 degrees. Hotter than 85 degrees may be too hot for physical
activity. However, she said that the domestic assault cases increase with heat.
In the Summer 2007, the average temperature was 86.25 degrees. The average crime cases in summer months were around 1,500. The rest of the year saw an average temperature of 56.6 degrees. The average crime cases during the rest of the year were about 1,330.
Battery cases in Lawrence may not fit into the correlation of weather and violence. The District Attorney's office has only seen a slight increase in felonies during the summer months.
In January, when the temperature
averaged 39.2 degrees, battery cases amounted to 174. In March, with temperatures at 57.2 degrees, battery cases numbered 206. In August, temperatures reached averages of 89.4 degrees and battery cases went down to 186, and in November, cooling off at 54.2 degrees, there were 191.
Theft, on the other hand, more less fit into the theory of weather relating to increased violence. In January there were 62 reports, followed in March with 53. In August 75 thefts were reported, followed in November with 68.
—Edited by Matt Hirschfeld
BOARD OF REGENTS
University budget tightening 'will be felt by students'
BY JOHN MILBURN Associated Press
TOPEKA — The Kansas Board of
Regents wants the state's six universities to tighten their belts, and the head of the University says any cuts will be felt by students.
University of Kansas Provost Richard Lariviere said late Monday that the state has asked regents universities to cut spending by 7
percent over the next two years. He said the regents are seeking 2 percent cuts this year and 5 percent in 2009-2010.
The University has asked departments to cut total operating expenses by $5.5 million in the current year and $14.7 million in 2009-2010. However, those figures include money that the university is setting aside to cover anticipated increases in energy costs — $2.6 million this year and $4.5 million next year.
"Even when setting out to protect key instructional programs, it isn't possible to make cuts of this magnitude without affecting students."
Lariviere said cuts would require universities to reduce or eliminate programs and services. The university gets about 24 percent of its budget from state sources and he expected most of the cuts to be in administrative functions.
Regents want to review the six universities' cost-cutting proposals at their annual retreat on Aug. 19 in Wichita.
The need for cuts in state budgets emerged when figures were released June 30 showing a $61 million shortfall in anticipated tax revenues. Gov. Kathleen Sebelius has asked state agencies to trim their planned spending for the new fiscal year by up to 2 percent.
Sebelius spokeswoman Nicole Corcoran said state Budget Director Duane Goossen also would have to approve the cuts.
"Though the Kansas economy is in better shape than many other states, the governor believes we must make targeted, pro-active adjustments in budgets where we can, maximizing savings and minimizing the negative impact on those we serve," Corcoran said.