Image Credit: TBI
The Tennessee Conservative [By Kelly M. Jackson] –
Every year, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation compiles all the criminal statistical information from reports that occurred specifically on college campuses in Tennessee and releases a report.
This year’s report conveyed an increase in overall crime by 26.28 % from 2021 to 2022. From 2020 to 2021, there were 3,745 total reports of incidents that led to criminal charges. In comparison, from 2022 to 2023 there were nearly 1,000 more total coming in at a final tally of 4,729. This is a total increase of over 26%.
However, the numbers are significantly lower than the high reported in 2019, where there were a total of 5,721 offenses reported.
The largest percentage of crimes the committed were due to incidences of theft and assault. About 27% of all offenses were due to theft or larceny, and assaults were up nearly 30%. The most frequent type of larceny was due to “theft from a building”.
MTSU campus authorities communicated that many thefts occur because a student will leave their property unattended for a few moments only to return and find that it has been taken. And the assault numbers include all different types of assaults, which don’t always include battery. Simple assault does not include an element of physicality, just actions with intent to harm. Battery, however, is the nonconsensual touching of another person, also with intent to do harm.
The state of Tennessee put legislation in place in 1989, the “College and University Security Information Act” that requires all colleges and universities in the state to self-report all crimes committed on campus.
In 2022 of the most serious crimes, there were two murders, along with five kidnappings and 20 rapes during the reporting period.
There was no explanation given by law enforcement as to why there was an increase in overall crime. It was mentioned that perhaps due to covid, in comparison to the numbers that were on campuses in 2019, there were possibly less students attending classes in person, opting to stay with online courses they had been compelled to take when colleges and universities closed for the better part of two academic years.
If you would like to read the report in its entirety, it can be found here.
About the Author: Kelly Jackson is a recent escapee from corporate America, and a California refugee to Tennessee. Christ follower, Wife and Mom of three amazing teenagers. She has a BA in Comm from Point Loma Nazarene University, and has a background in law enforcement and human resources. Since the summer of 2020, she has spent any and all free time in the trenches with local grassroots orgs, including Mom’s for Liberty Williamson County and Tennessee Stands as a core member. Outspoken advocate for parents rights, medical freedom, and individual liberty. Kelly can be reached at kelly@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
