TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WIAT) — The University of Alabama has released crime statistics from campus, showing an increase in reported cases of rape and burglaries in recent years.
According to the report, there were 31 reported rapes in 2021, 19 in 2020 and 29 in 2019. When it comes to burglary reports, 23 were reported in 2021 and 24 in 2020.
UA senior Peyton Davis says the crime statistics are concerning to her.
“It really is scary and being a woman is hard enough,” Davis said. “Honestly it makes you want to always want to have mace or an alarm on you because you don’t know what happening all the time around you. It can happen to me just as much as it could happen to other people.”
Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit Commander Captain Jack Kennedy says more victims of these crimes have been coming forward recently.
“All I can say is we are going to investigate each and every one of these cases and bring criminal charges if they are warranted in every case,” Kennedy said. “We’ve had more students than we’ve ever had and I think we’ve had more people reporting than we’ve had in the past. Hopefully we have more victims feeling more comfortable coming forward.”
Kennedy says he encourages students to walk together in groups and always know their surroundings. If you see something, say something and report it to the police.
