Reports of rape and sexual assault increased last year in Tempe, while serious crime decreased overall for the second consecutive year.
Eighty-six rapes or sexual assaults were reported last year, 11 more than in 2003, according to statistics released by the city's Crime Analysis Unit.
"Being a large town with a lot of apartment complexes and being a university town, that's one of the unfortunate consequences," said Tempe police Chief Ralph Tranter.
Tranter said the Tempe Police Department is analyzing the cases to determine how many were acquaintance rapes, how many were serial rapes and how the department should respond to the increase.
He said Tempe provides "extensive crime prevention outreach on sexual assaults" to the city and ASU, often partnering with campus police.
Ashley Linder, a physical therapy freshman, said she "learned to have a buddy at night" after hearing about an increase in the rape rate from her hall director before winter break.
Linder, an out-of-state student from rural New Hampshire, said the change was part of her transition to living in an urban environment.
"I grew up trusting people a lot more than they deserved," she said.
Sana Haque, a graduate student in the humanities program, knows people who are concerned about their safety but said she is "probably not cautious enough."
Haque said her friends and professors worry about her walking home by herself after night classes.
"Because of all their concern, I'm trying to be more careful," she said.
In general, other crimes decreased in the city.
Burglary reports fell 26 percent in 2004 after increasing steadily from 1999 to 2003.
"That's really big," Tranter said, "because when someone breaks into your house, people feel really violated."
Reports in other theft categories declined for the second straight year and the numbers of robbery, burglary and larceny reports in 2004 dipped below levels reported as early as 1996.
The number of auto theft reports fell nearly 11 percent, with 2,411 thefts reported in 2004, 290 fewer than in 2003. But that figure is still up 21 percent from the number reported five years ago.
Homicides increased slightly as eight were reported last year, one more than in 2003.
Tranter said many factors contributed to the overall decline in serious crimes reported, including support from city leadership.
The City Council has given Tempe police the resources to maintain full staffing, he said, which "allows us to be a lot more dynamic and responsive ... as opposed to reactive."
Since property crimes are the most common and the most preventable, he said "citizens probably have the most impact on the crime rate."
But Tranter said he refrains from waving a "victory flag" in response to the decrease in crime.
"I don't go out and flaunt the crime statistics," he said, "because people are still being victimized."
Reach the reporter at brian.indrelunas@asu.edu.
