Theft is down 42% on the Arnold campus since 2017, according to a report the campus police released on Nov. 6. 

The Department of Public Safety and Police’s 2020 annual security report shows theft has steadily decreased, from 14 reported cases in 2017 to eight in 2019 on AACC’s Arnold campus. The report covers crimes on all AACC campuses in 2019. 

“I [would] obviously like to see zeros at all of the categories [and] … have an absolutely crime–free college,” AACC Police Chief Sean Kapfhammer explained. “But I don’t know that that’s always practical. But … based on the numbers, it’s a very safe campus.”  

Fraud cases increased from four in 2018 to seven in 2019 on the Arnold campus. Kapfhammer explained most of the cases involved bad checks from students to the college.  

“The bank catches that and … [the college] doesn’t even lose any money over it,” he said. “But [the Records and Registration office] will still report that to us, and we’ll write a report about it so it’s almost like … attempted fraud.” 

Incidences of vandalism increased from seven cases in 2018 to nine in 2019 on the Arnold campus. But Kapfhammer said he is not concerned.   

“Things that we list as vandalism might just be as much as somebody is taking a marker and writing something on a bathroom stall wall,” he explained. “For most people that’s not a big deal, [but] we still include it as a crime.” 

Disorderly conduct, hate crimes and drug abuse violation referrals remained consistent from year to year, with disorderly conduct receiving the largest amount of complaints, 10 in 2019.  

Some students said they are glad to see the crime rate decrease. 

“The way I see it, the less crime there the better, especially for those [students] that go to class … late at night,” Jacob Campbell, a third-year computer science student, said.  “I took classes [that] … got out at 9 [p.m.] and a I was little anxious to walk around campus that late.” 

E-club President Na’Quan Willett agreed. 

“I didn’t even know that there was any room to decrease,” Willett, a second-year entrepreneurship student, said. “When I was on campus, [it] was such a great environment [and] everyone was friendly. So, to know that it is getting even better … I am glad to hear that.”