Information on Crime Statistics Preparation and Reporting

The procedures for preparing the annual disclosure of crime statistics include reporting statistics to the University community obtained from the following sources: the GW Police Department (GWPD), the DC Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), the GW University Hospital Security Department, and non-police officials (as defined below). For statistical purposes, crime statistics reported to any of these sources are recorded in the calendar year the crime was reported.

A written request for statistical information is made on an annual basis to all Campus Security Authorities (as defined by federal law) and to all University Deans, Directors, and Department Heads. Statistical information is requested and provided to GWPD by the employees at the University Counseling Center and the Student Health Center, even though they are not required by law to provide statistics for the compliance document. Members of the Sexual Assault Crisis Consultation (SACC) Team also provide statistics to GWPD about cases they have dealt with where the victim chose not to report the incident to GWPD or MPD.

All of the statistics are gathered, compiled, and reported to the University community via this brochure, entitled “Annual Security and Fire Safety Report in Protection & Service” (referred to as the “Annual Security and Fire Safety Report” brochure), which is published by GWPD. GWPD submits the annual crime statistics published in this brochure to the Department of Education (ED). The statistical information gathered by the Department of

Education is available to the public through the ED website.

GWPD sends an email to every enrolled student and current employee on an annual basis. The email includes a brief summary of the contents of the “Annual Security and Fire Safety Report” brochure. The email also includes the address for the GWPD website where the “Annual Security and Fire Safety Report” brochure can be found on-line (http://gwired.gwu.edu/upd/compliance) and a physical copy may be obtained by making a request to the GWPD (202-994-6110).

Specific Information about Classifying Crime Statistics

The statistics in this brochure are published in accordance with the standards and guidelines used by the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook and the relevant federal law (the Clery Act).

The number of victims involved in a particular incident is indicated in the statistics column for the following crime classifications: Murder/Non-Negligent Manslaughter, Negligent Manslaughter, Forcible and Non-Forcible Sex Offenses, and Aggravated Assault. For example, if an aggravated assault occurs and there are three victims, this would be counted as three aggravated assaults in the crime statistics chart.

The number reflected in the statistics for the following crime categories includes one offense per distinct operation: Robbery, Burglary, Larceny, Vandalism, and Arson. For example, if five students are walking across campus together and they are robbed, this would count as one instance of robbery in the crime statistics chart.

In cases of Motor Vehicle Theft, each vehicle stolen is counted as a statistic.

In cases involving Liquor Law, Drug Law, and Illegal Weapons violations, each person who was arrested is indicated in the arrest statistics. The statistics captured under the “Referred for Disciplinary Action” section for Liquor Law, Drug Law, and Illegal Weapons violations indicates the number of people the Dean of Students representative referred to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities for disciplinary action for violations of those specific laws. Being “found responsible” for a violation includes a referral that resulted in a student being charged by the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities and a record of the action being kept on file.

The statistics in the Hate Crime charts are separated by category of prejudice. The numbers for most of the specific crime categories are part of the overall statistics reported for each year. The only exceptions to this are the addition of Simple Assault, Intimidation, and any other crime that involves bodily injury that is not already included in the required reporting categories. If a hate crime occurs where there is an incident involving Intimidation, Vandalism, Larceny, Simple Assault or other bodily injury, the law requires that the statistic be reported as a hate crime even though there is no requirement to report the crime classification in any other area of the compliance document. Note: A hate or bias related crime is not a separate, distinct crime, but is the commission of a criminal offense which was motivated by the offender’s bias. For example, a subject assaults a victim, which is a crime. If the facts of the case indicate that the offender was motivated to commit the offense because of his/her bias against the victim’s race, sexual orientation, gender, religion, ethnicity, or disability the assault is then also classified as a hate/bias crime.

Specific Information about the Crime Statistics Reported by GW

The column “Reported to GWPD” includes crime statistics from incidents that were reported to GWPD. If an incident was reported to both GWPD and MPD, the statistics would be counted under the “Reported to GWPD” column. Incidents reported to the GW University Hospital Security Department are also included in this column.

The column “Reported to MPD” includes crime statistics from incidents that were reported to MPD but NOT reported to GWPD. These incidents could have occurred on/in on-campus property, non-campus property or public property, as defined in the Appendix. The crime statistics provided by MPD are provided based on the crime definitions in the DC Crimes Code, not based on the Uniformed Crime Reporting Program (UCR)/National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS), as required by the federal law.

The column “Reported to Non-Police” includes crime statistics from incidents reported to Sexual Assault Crisis Consultation (SACC) Team members or from officials at the institution who are defined by federal law as Campus Security Authorities because they have significant responsibility for student and campus activities, including, but not limited to, Housing Staff, Community Directors, and Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities staff.

Statistics for “Residential Facilities” are also counted in the “On-Campus” crime category. The law requires institutions to break out the number of “On-Campus” crimes that occur in residential facilities.

Crime statistics for the categories of larceny and vandalism are not required by law, but are still provided in the interest of informing the community about the most frequent crimes that occur at GW. Only those incidents reported to GWPD are captured in these statistics. GWPD does not request these statistics from MPD or other Campus Security Authorities.

Statistics under the heading of “Referred for Disciplinary Action” include those individuals referred to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities (OSRR) for disciplinary action by the Dean of Students Consortium. The numbers include incidents that are reported via GWPD incident reports and reports provided directly to OSRR from other members of the GW community.. The crime statistics for residence halls that are located outside the campus boundaries (HOVA and the Aston) are captured in the Non-Campus category starting January 1, 2009.

Sex Offenses Definitions: As per the National Incident-Based Reporting System Edition of the Uniform Crime Reporting Program

Sex Offenses-Forcible: Any sexual act directed against another person, forcibly and/or against that person's will; or not forcibly or against the person's will where the victim is incapable of giving consent.

A. Forcible Rape
The carnal knowledge of a person, forcibly and/or against the person's will; or not forcibly or against the person's will where the victim is incapable of giving consent because of his/her temporary or permanent mental or physical incapacity (or because of his/her youth).

B. Forcible Sodomy
Oral or anal sexual intercourse with another person, forcibly and/or
against that person's will; or not forcibly against the person's will where the victim is incapable of giving consent because of his/her youth or because of his/her temporary or permanent mental or physical incapacity.

C. Sexual Assault with an Object
The use of an object or instrument to unlawfully penetrate, however
slightly, the genital or anal opening of the body of another person,
forcibly and/or against that person's will; or not forcibly or against the person's will where the victim is incapable of giving consent because of his/her youth or because of his/her temporary or permanent mental or physical incapacity.

D. Forcible Fondling
The touching of the private body parts of another person for the purpose of sexual gratification, forcibly and/or against that person's will; or, not forcibly or against the person's will where the victim is incapable of giving consent because of his/her youth or because of his/her temporary or permanent mental or physical incapacity.

Sex Offenses-Non-Forcible: Unlawful, non-forcible sexual intercourse.

A. Incest
Non-forcible sexual intercourse between persons who are related to each other within the degrees wherein marriage is prohibited by law.

B. Statutory Rape
Non-forcible sexual intercourse with a person who is under the statutory age of consent.

Crime definitions are taken from the Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook

Aggravated Assault: an unlawful attack by one person upon another for the purpose of inflicting severe or aggravated bodily injury. This type of assault usually is accompanied by the use of a weapon or by means likely to produce death or great bodily harm. It is not necessary that injury result from an aggravated assault when a gun, knife, or other weapon is used which could or probably would result in a serious potential injury if the crime were successfully completed.

Arson: Any willful or malicious burning or attempt to burn, with or without intent to defraud, a dwelling, house, public building, motor vehicle or aircraft, personal property, etc.

Burglary: The unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or a theft. For reporting purposes this definition includes: unlawful entry with intent to commit a larceny or a felony; breaking and entering with intent to commit a larceny; housebreaking; safecracking; and all attempts to commit any of the aforementioned.

Motor Vehicle Theft: The theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle. (Classify as motor vehicle theft all cases where automobiles are taken by persons not having lawful access even though the vehicles are later abandoned-including joy riding).

Murder and Non-negligent Manslaughter: The willful (non-negligent) killing of one human being by another.

Manslaughter by Negligence: The killing of another person through gross negligence.

Robbery: The taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of force, violence, and/or causing the victim fear.

Weapon Law Violations: The violation of laws or ordinances dealing with weapon offenses, regulatory in nature, such as: manufacture, sale, or possession of deadly weapons; carrying deadly weapons, concealed or openly; furnishing deadly weapons to minors; aliens possessing deadly weapons; all attempts to commit any of the aforementioned.

Drug Abuse Violations: Violations of state and local laws relating to the unlawful possession, sale, use, growing, manufacturing, and making of narcotic drugs. The relevant substances include: opium or cocaine and their derivatives (morphine, heroin, codeine); marijuana; synthetic narcotics (demerol, methadones); and dangerous non-narcotic drugs (barbiturates, benzedrine).

Liquor Law Violations: The violation of laws or ordinance prohibiting: the manufacture, sale, transporting, furnishing, possessing of intoxicating liquor; maintaining unlawful drinking places; bootlegging; operating a still; furnishing liquor to minor or intemperate person; using a vehicle for illegal transportation of liquor; drinking on a train or public conveyance; all attempts to commit any of the aforementioned. (Drunkenness and driving under the influence are not included in this definition.)

Geography definitions are taken  directly from the Clery Act

On-Campus-Defined as: (1) Any building or property owned or controlled by an institution within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area and used by the institution in direct support of or in a manner related to the institution's educational purposes, including residence halls; and (2) Any building or property that is within or reasonably contiguous to the area identified in paragraph (1), that is owned by the institution but controlled by another person, is frequently used by students and supports institutional purposes (such as a food or retail vendor).

Non-Campus Building Or Property-Defined as: (1) Any building or property owned or controlled by a student organization that is officially recognized by the institution; or (2) Any building or property owned or controlled by an institution that is used in direct support of or in relation to the institution's educational purposes, is frequently used by students, and is not within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area of the institution.

Public Property-Defined as: All public property, including thoroughfares, streets, sidewalks, and parking facilities, that is within the campus or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus.



The GW crime statistics do not include crimes that occur in privately owned homes or businesses within or adjacent to the campus boundaries.