Campus Update
Drop in car theft, rise in stalking
Luke Garrett / News Editor / The USD Vista
Reports of rape and car theft saw a sharp decrease while stalking and dating violence showed a steep increase in the 2018 calendar year, according to the 2019 USD Annual Fire and Safety Report.
Each year, the University of San Diego Department of Public Safety (DPS) is required to share all crime statistics under the Clery Act. USD DPS sent the report to students on Sept. 25 and the report includes the statistics from 2016, 2017, and 2018. In 2018, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking all increased from zero reports the year before.
Stalking rose to seven reports, dating violence jumped to five, and three domestic violence reports were made in 2018. Assistant Vice President of Public Safety James Miyashiro said that these stark increases could be attributed to cyberstalking and abuse through social media.
University of California San Diego (UCSD) also saw an increase in stalking and domestic violence, a fact that Miyashiro noted. The number of car thefts decreased by 10 reports, leaving only one car report in 2018, and rapes on campus saw a decrease of five, from seven in 2017 to two in 2018.
Another notable decrease was in burglary reports that went from 12 reports to eight. USD has received zero reports of manslaughter in the past three calendar years.
Crimes on campus can be reported to USD DPS at (619) 260-7777.
$200,000 UCSD tuition scam
Luke Garrett / News Editor / The USD Vista
Scammers extorted nearly a quarter million dollars from UCSD international students this summer, according to Miyashiro.
The extortions began three months ago and involved scammers who either acted as the state officials on the phone or a third-party tuition service, said Miyashiro.
The over-the-phone extortion involves scammers who claim to be either the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or state police from the international student’s home country. Scammers threaten arrest or a suspension of education visas, prompting students to pay a fine to the con artists.
Scammers also offer reduced tuition to students, but only through a faux-thirdparty website that promptly takes the money from students. UCSD officials contacted USD, prompting a precautionary email sent to all students about the scam and how to guard against it.
Scams on campus should be reported to USD DPS at (619) 260-7777