(Rithvik Hari / Fourth Estate)
Report highlights increase in crime; department emphasizes awareness, safety programs and expanding resources
BY RITHVIK HARI, STAFF WRITER
George Mason’s Police Department released its Annual Security Report on Oct. 1, highlighting key trends in campus crime and new efforts to improve safety across Mason’s five campuses.
The 163-page security report outlines campus safety information, defines types of crimes, offers safety tips, breaks down reported incidents by campus and identifies available safety programs for students, faculty and staff.
According to the 2024 Common Data Set Report, Mason had approximately 39,763 total students, a number that highlights the complexity of ensuring safety across a large campus community.
George Mason’s Police Department consists of 53 sworn officers (when fully staffed) and 18 supervisor/command officers of varying ranks.
At the Fairfax campus, Mason saw an increase in sexual assault cases involving rape and fondling since 2023.
Assistant Chief of Police Emily Ross of GMUPD explained the increase, “is likely attributed to an increased number of reports from mandatory reporters who received disclosures from students and provided information to GMUPD in compliance with the Clery Act and University Policy 1412.”
The Clery Act requires colleges and universities to report campus crime data, support victims of violence, and publicly outline the policies and procedures universities have in place to improve campus safety.
George Mason’s Policy 1412 was implemented to create guidelines about the reporting of crimes following the passage of the Clery Act. The policy outlines what university faculty, staff and other designated individuals should do as mandatory reporters and what the responsibilities are of university employees reporting prohibited sexual conduct.
Ross added that most of the reported fondling incidents involve intimate partners and not strangers.
“If a pattern of sexual assaults involving strangers occurs, GMUPD will alert the community regarding any ongoing serious threats to the campus,” she said in a written statement.
Due to Mason’s size, Chief Ross said that one of the most common calls that officers face are mental health-related calls and welfare checks. She noted these calls can take anywhere from a few minutes to several days to resolve.
“Overall, an increase in population correlates to an increase in emergency service needs in any community,” Ross said in an interview with Fourth Estate.
Ross continued by adding that the GMUPD is working to expand their force to better accommodate the growing campus community and its needs.
Compared to Mason’s five other campuses, the Fairfax campus has the most reported crimes in the past few years than any other.
(Montgomery Vanik / Fourth Estate)
Chief of Staff Eric Fowler of GMUPD sat down with Fourth Estate to explain the increase in crime statistics.
“What the community reports to us is helpful for us to address crime trends and various safety concerns. It is helpful for people to report suspicious behavior and crimes to police following the ‘see something, say something’ course of action.”
Though Mason does not have a blue light system, which is common across as many as 92% of United States college campuses, Mason implemented the RAVE Guardian system in Sept. 2017. The app is a mobile safety platform designed to help improve communication and safety among campuses.
Ross said GMUPD also uses Flock Safety license plate reader cameras, body cameras, and information-sharing systems to assist officers with investigating crimes and identifying crime trends.
Along with the annual report, Mason police also maintain the Daily Crime and Fire Log, which details the types of calls service officers receive each day.
Students, staff, faculty and visitors are reminded to call 911 in an emergency or the department’s non-emergency line at 703-993-2810.
