According to a survey conducted by stateuniversity.com, Oakland University was the fourth safest Michigan college campus in 2011.

The survey ranked two and four-year Michigan schools based on annual incidences of aggravated assault, arson, burglary, forcible rape, larceny, murder, robbery and vehicle theft per 1,000 students.

Oakland University Police Department credits the outstanding score to crime prevention tactics and the positive bond it has made with the community.

“I think when you combine those two, people willing to be participants in the responsibility of safety and our proactive approach, it’s probably a lot of why we have been successful,” Captain Mark Gordon said.

Officer Jeannine Marthen believes that the outreach programs that the department runs and the 22 sworn police personnel also help create a safe campus atmosphere.

The Rape Aggression Defense program, security assessments of campus buildings and sexual assault presentations are a few of the outreach programs OUPD sponsors.

Desirae Tibaudo, a freshman, plans to participate in the next RAD session.

“It’s something I want to take for sure,” she said. “You never know when you might need it.”

OU was ranked number two in the 2010 version of the survey, however this does not necessarily mean that there has been a huge increase in crime on campus, Gordon said.

He explained that in one year, motor vehicle theft doubled from one incident to two.

“Two auto thefts in the perspective of the whole community is not very much, but when you have an increase of 100 percent, it tends to bring your numbers down.  Even the smallest in a low crime rate makes (it) seem even worse than it is.”

The department is attempting to build a partnership with the students, staff and faculty at OU.

Hoping to keep OU safe, both OUPD members urge members of the OU community to speak out when a situation doesn’t seem right.

“Trust your gut. If it feels wrong, it could be wrong,” Marthen said. “There’s no call that’s a bad call.”

Contact Campus Editor Sarah Hunton via e-mail at [email protected].