Incidents of violent and property crime at the University of California, Davis, campus and its medical center in Sacramento decreased by 19 percent last year, as measured by the FBI Crime Index in an annual report of crimes at UC's nine campuses. Incidents of violent crime decreased from 13 to five in 1998. The number of property crimes, the most frequent type of crime at UC Davis, also decreased by 18 percent from 1,083 to 884. Arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs more than doubled. The vast majority of those arrested in all incidents had no affiliation to UC Davis. "While crime does occur at UC Davis and its medical center, the rate of both violent crime and property crime continues to be significantly lower than in the surrounding communities and in California as a whole," says Calvin Handy, chief of the UC Davis Police Department. "In our efforts to provide a safe environment," he adds, "we operate a comprehensive awareness program aimed at preventing crime, provide professional police services, and work in cooperation and collaboration with our communities." Crimes at the campus and medical center reported or known to police are counted according to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program, used by law enforcement agencies throughout the state. The FBI Crime Index tallies incidents of the eight most serious violent crimes and property crimes. VIOLENT CRIMES Data showed that violent crime -- including homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault -- represented less than 1 percent of all crimes reported. The five incidents of violent crime included the first homicide at UC Davis in 14 years. The body of a farm laborer, with no affiliation to the university, was found in a rural area on the southern edge of the campus in August. Two men with no connection to UC Davis will be tried for the murder this month in Solano County Superior Court. Of the other violent crimes: * A juvenile male with no affiliation to the university was arrested for aggravated assault after another youth and a student, both male, were attacked with a hammer in a campus residence hall; the two victims were cut on the head. * In a case at the medical center, a man with no affiliation to UC Davis was arrested for aggravated assault in an attempt to hit someone with a cane. * A knife was used to rob $30 in cash from an individual on the main campus; no arrest was made. * A handgun was used to take a wallet from an individual at the medical center; no arrest was made. For the third consecutive year, no rapes were reported to university police. PROPERTY CRIMES Burglary decreased by 21 percent, from 92 reports in 1997 to 73 this past year. In the majority of the burglaries, there was no evidence of forced entry. Bicycle theft decreased by 31 percent, from 382 incidents in 1997 to 265 in 1998. "The continuing decline in bicycle thefts, from a high of 954 in 1993, reflects a major priority of the department," Handy says. He adds that the police department actively encourages new students to lock their bikes, that the university has provided more racks for bike security and that police officers themselves now take reports on bicycle thefts and investigate them. The number of automobile thefts decreased from 44 to 25. Of a total of 521 other thefts, stereos, CDs and cellular phones were the most popular items taken. Police recovered 16 percent of the $192,131 in university property stolen in 1998 and 32 percent of the $326,379 in personal property stolen that year. No arsons were reported in 1998. DRUNKEN-DRIVING ARRESTS Arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs increased from 29 to 63. Handy says the increase in arrests reflects the department's heightened attention to the problem of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. WARRANTS SERVED UC Davis police officers served 13 traffic warrants, up from two in 1997, and 91 other warrants, up from 41. Handy says much of the increase can be attributed to the fact that the department has been encouraging community members to report suspicious activity, and, when they do, police officers check the identity and background of the suspicious individuals involved. OTHER Of all 1998 cases, two were racially motivated. In February, a student's car was scratched with a key, and racial slurs were written. In an October incident, police received a 911 call falsely reporting that a bomb would be placed at the African Diaspora House and that dynamite would be thrown through one of its windows. No one was arrested in either incident. Four cases involved weapons, 95 were related to alcohol and eight were classified as domestic violence. One police officer was assaulted in an incident at the medical center. UNIVERSITY AFFILIATION For all offenses committed during the year, UC Davis police officers arrested 344 individuals. Of the 39 arrested for the eight most serious violent and property crimes, 11 were affiliated with the main campus or medical center as a student or employee. Of the 305 arrested for other offenses, only 12 were affiliated with the university. PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS Highlights of the UC Davis Police Department's activities in 1998 include the following: o The university hired its first full-time emergency planner and rewrote its Emergency Operations Plan, which outlines policy and procedures for emergency planning, response and recovery. Also, those with assignments during an emergency participated in training in the state's Standardized Emergency Management System, and 11 employees attended emergency management courses offered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. o The campus rape prevention program was renamed the Campus Violence Prevention Program to reflect the expansion of its prevention and intervention programs to address hate- or bias-related activity as well as sexual and relationship violence. o Representatives of the program provided individual consultation, group support programs and advocacy for 261 survivors of recent or past incidents of sexual assault or relationship violence as well as their significant others. Program staff also made contact with almost 7,300 individuals through 306 educational presentations; lectured in 47 academic classes on topics ranging from domestic violence to rape trauma syndrome; provided 37 training sessions on sexual violence issues to residence staff and peer advisors, among others; and distributed information at special events. o The Crime Prevention Unit added a fifth class, "Workplace Violence: Recognizing and Defusing Aggressive Behavior" to its safety and security series for employees. Others in the series, introduced in 1997, include robbery prevention, front-desk security, facility security and personal safety.