“I wish I knew about the safety of this campus before coming here,” said Camille Hollingsworth, a fourth-year architecture student at San Diego State University.
“There have been times when I was walking back from a late class and had to have my roommates pick me up because of how nervous I felt to walk alone.”
The San Diego State University Police Department receives hundreds of calls each year. According to SDSU police daily logs, there were over 150 fewer calls in 2023 than in 2022, but numbers in 2024 crept back up to 2022 levels, with 854 calls made that year.
A closer look at the 17% increase in calls from 2023 to 2024 shows a spike in reports of assault, battery and grand theft over the past two years, according to university police data.
Drugs, alcohol and violence on campus have left students like Hollingsworth fearful for their safety near the trolley station, the gym and the dorms.
In response to the spike in crime, SDSU Police Department Public Information Officer Amanda Stills said the department “remains committed to campus and community safety.”
University Police recently changed the crime reporting systems which they use to track crimes committed in the area. Old systems used to only keep track of the most serious offense in a report, however the new systems track all offenses in an incident.
According to Stills, this may influence recent shifts in crime data.
Theft at SDSU
While arrest data can help identify trends, calls to 911 are often a stronger indicator of harder-to-solve crimes.
Theft is the most commonly reported crime at SDSU, with 499 theft-related reports out of the 2,457 calls to SDSU police between 2022 and 2024. The Aztec Recreation Center has been a hotspot, accounting for 85 theft-related calls during that time, according to UPD data.
Despite the high number of reports, arrests remain alarmingly low.
Only one theft report at the ARC resulted in an arrest, leaving most cases unsolved. Many reports remain closed pending further leads, while some victims declined to prosecute.
Despite 24/7 surveillance, controlled entrances and restricted memberships — limited to active SDSU students, faculty, staff and sponsored community members — the newly built facility saw more theft than any other area on campus.
Theft reports at the ARC increased from 22 in 2022 to 32 in 2023 before slightly dropping to 31 in 2024.
“I had my skateboard stolen at the racks outside the gym last year, and I just remember finding my lock broken on the ground and my board gone,” said Broder Thompson, an SDSU junior.
It was frustrating for Thompson because he had two bicycles stolen as well.
“I reported everything, but campus police never contacted me. I kept asking, but I still haven’t heard anything from them,” Thompson added.
Stills said theft rates at the ARC are high because members leave valuable items unattended while working out.
Signs inside the ARC state that the facility is not responsible for lost or stolen items and advise members not to leave valuables unattended.
“Unattended property creates an opportunity for theft,” Stills said. “However, we remain committed to working with ARC staff and the campus community to promote theft prevention and security awareness.”
Crime at a College in the City
While petty theft, a theft of items totalling $950 in value or less, may not pose a large threat to students, changing crime patterns support students’ concerns about safety.
Just before 5 p.m. on Oct. 31, 2024, a man was shot on campus near the trolley station. Police spent more than an hour and a half searching for suspects before arresting two men.
None of the individuals involved were SDSU students or faculty.
As with any public college in a large city, crime involving non-students occurs. However, police data shows a 76% increase in non-student-related crime on campus.
In 2023, SDSU police received 13 calls concerning non-students refusing to leave campus. In 2024, that number rose to 23.
When asked about the rise in reports of non-student crime, Stills said they have policies in place to address disruptive visitors.
“The university as a whole has taken steps to mitigate these issues and help ensure that students, employees and community members can fully participate in campus life without disruption,” Stills said.
Disorderly Conduct on Campus
As with many universities, public intoxication and disorderly conduct remain an
issue for SDSU police.
According to a study done by the University of South Carolina regarding policing alcohol on college campuses, the rate of alcohol involvement is the highest for vandalism and public encounters.
Since 2022, police have received 102 calls and made more than 70 arrests for disorderly conduct involving alcohol or drugs.
Unlike other crimes, disorderly conduct reports did not see a sharp increase in 2024 compared to 2023.
In 2023, police responded to 36 disorderly conduct calls involving intoxicated individuals. In 2024, that number increased by just two incidents.
Although incidents remained steady, the number of arrests gradually increased in 2023 and 2024, with a decline in 2022.
University Police said no policy changes were made that would explain the increase in arrests over citations.
“There have been no specific policy changes since 2022 regarding how we handle intoxicated individuals,” the department said in a statement.
“However, the option of taking individuals to a detox center has become more limited due to changes in their criteria for admission. This has directly impacted how our officers manage these situations.”
The number of arrests for driving under the influence has declined in recent years. As SDSU police records show 58 DUI cases between 2022 and 2024.
However, nearly half of those cases were reported in 2022. In both 2023 and 2024, police recorded only 15 DUI cases.
According to Stills, this decline may not indicate a drop in DUI incidents but rather a shift in policing priorities.
“A key factor is the significant increase in special events on and around campus in recent years,” Stills said. “These events require substantial police resources, leading to a shift in priorities to ensure community safety during large gatherings.”
Crimes Trending Down
While SDSU police reported increased crime in 2024 compared to 2023, some crimes saw notable decreases.
Reports of rape and sexual assault saw a sharp decline.
According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, “One in five women and one in 16 men are sexually assaulted while in college.”
Since 2022, SDSU police have received 47 reports of rape or sexual assault. However, only four were reported in 2024, a 75% drop from the 16 reports in 2023.
The decline raises questions about whether students are safer or if changes in reporting practices influenced the data.
“There have been no changes to how sexual assault reports are made or how individuals contact SDSU police,” Stills said. “While it is possible that changes in reporting patterns have contributed to the decline, we have no indication that this is the case.”
“Increased awareness and education on campus could potentially play a role, but we have not conducted an analysis to determine if this is a contributing factor,” she said.
When asked for comment on rising crime reports, SDSU President Adela de la Torre’s office directed any requested statements to the police department.
Editor’s Note: This article has been edited to include additional information about the change in reporting systems used by SDSU University Police.
