Mercer University released data from the 2023 calendar year in its annual campus safety report on Tuesday, Oct. 1.
The data is aggregated from MerPo, the Title IX office, Student Affairs, Human Resources, Housing and Residence Life, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and the Director of Environmental Health and Safety.
According to the report, seminars were given throughout the year by a number of the offices listed above, with the addition of the office of the Dean of Students, Fraternity and Sorority Programs, the Mercer School of Law and the Mercer School of Medicine.
Within the report is a list of Georgia’s definitions for consent, dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. The school’s policies regarding drugs and alcohol, prohibited items in facilities and other elements of campus safety were outlined, too, in the report.
For most categories, the number of crimes reported in 2023 was lower than the same category in 2022. Crimes that saw an increase were, with the exception of stalking, an increase from no reported cases in 2022 to one or two in 2023. Stalking saw a 50% increase from 2022 to 2023, from eight reported cases to 12.
The school saw a decrease in 2023 from 2022 in the number of reported cases of rape, from 13 to seven. All reported cases occurred in on-campus living facilities. The university also saw a decrease in the number of reported cases of fondling, from seven in 2022 to five in 2023.
Drug abuse and liquor law violations also saw a decrease since 2022, with the university reporting 19 and 37 cases, respectively. Liquor law violations have decreased by more than 70% since 2020, when there were 132 such cases.
There were six reported motor vehicle thefts on campus last year, and one reported off campus. The statistics do not include the roughly 20 car break-ins that happened on campus in March 2023.
While the numbers suggest that crime decreased on campus across the board, these numbers are not comprehensive. The crimes listed are specifically defined, so some that occur may not fall under the umbrella of the Clery Act, and thus will not be counted in this report.
Students who have information about crime on campus are encouraged to contact MerPo at (478) 301-4357. Students may call to set up an appointment with CAPS at (478) 301-2862, or visit their website.
Gabriel Kopp '26 is majoring in Journalism and Law and Public Policy at Mercer University. He has written for The Cluster since he started at Mercer, and currently works as co-Editor-in-Chief. When he isn't studying, he enjoys going for runs and reading The New York Times or the AJC while sipping coffee.
