Fake ratings from bogus websites aside, the actual data shows that violent crime at EIU is skyrocketing since 2010. In the most recent 5 years of data violent crime is up 123.04%, since 1997 violent crime is up 291.65%. This data comes from the UCR data reported by the EIU PD to the FBI and is separate from the data reported by the Charleston PD and Coles County Sheriff. Since these crimes were handled by EIU PD and not CPD, one can assume they involved students, occurred on campus or locations close enough to campus or habited by enough students to be considered de facto campus. Keep in mind just because these crimes are happening on campus doesn't mean the students are the ones committing them, the data just shows crimes are happening not who commits them. These numbers are probably the prime culprit behind the enrollment drop and not any of the other scapegoat issues. If students don't feel safe, they aren't coming here.
Outside of murder, all tracked forms of violent crime is on the rise. Most shockingly is that rape is up 118.66% over the 5 most recent years of data and 591.14% since 1997. In a school like Eastern that is majority female this is a huge problem for enrollment. Assault over the 5 most recent years of data is up 31.20% and 93.52% since 1997. Robbery was virtually nonexistent until the last 4 years of data, where it's increased 205.66%.
To put it into perspective, compared to the 34 other state schools who have a police department, in 2015 EIU has the most total assaults, the 2nd most robberies and the 5th most rapes, while being 17th in total enrollment. This includes schools like University of Illinois:Urbana, College of DuPage, Northern Illinois University, and Southern Illinois University:Carbondale. We are currently working on an article on this statewide look at violent crime that will go more into depth on this topic.
Outside of murder, all tracked forms of violent crime is on the rise. Most shockingly is that rape is up 118.66% over the 5 most recent years of data and 591.14% since 1997. In a school like Eastern that is majority female this is a huge problem for enrollment. Assault over the 5 most recent years of data is up 31.20% and 93.52% since 1997. Robbery was virtually nonexistent until the last 4 years of data, where it's increased 205.66%.
To put it into perspective, compared to the 34 other state schools who have a police department, in 2015 EIU has the most total assaults, the 2nd most robberies and the 5th most rapes, while being 17th in total enrollment. This includes schools like University of Illinois:Urbana, College of DuPage, Northern Illinois University, and Southern Illinois University:Carbondale. We are currently working on an article on this statewide look at violent crime that will go more into depth on this topic.
- Rape per resident in Charleston is trending down and is now lower than the rising rape per student rate at EIU. Strikingly you seem more likely to be raped on EIU controlled property than at a private residence.
- Violent crime in Charleston has been trending slightly down since 1998 at a drop of 7.9%. However, over the last 5 years of data violent crime is up 30.20%. Since 1998 violent crime at EIU is up 485.37% and in the 5 most recent years of data it is up 123.04%.
- The robbery rate at Eastern is now a little over 3x higher than Charleston after being basically nonexistent since 1998.
- Since 1998 assault at EIU is up 141.04% while Charleston is only up 13.21%, over the last 5 years of data though, Charleston is up 63.02% and Eastern is up 31.20%. This can be interpreted many ways, you are more likely to be assaulted off-campus than on, but the overall rise at EIU might point to their issues spilling off campus and into town.
