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Workload and Crime Dashboard

The Drexel University Police Department (DUPD) has created this Workload and Crime Dashboard to share pertinent information with the Drexel community about DUPD’s work in a user-friendly format. To provide context and transparency about trends over time, the Dashboard displays three years’ worth of data in three categories: calls for services; criminal statistics; and arrests and criminal complaints.

Please note that this dashboard does not represent the full breadth of Drexel Public Safety's workload and responsibilities. You can explore the Public Safety website for information about walking escort services, patrol boundaries, communications procedures, safety and prevention program offerings, and more. Drexel Public Safety also publishes a Daily Crime Log that provides more up-to-date information about reported crimes and fires occurring in the past 30 days.

If you have any questions about the dashboard, please email dps@drexel.edu.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Drexel Public Safety (DPS) rolling out a data dashboard at this time?
While most of the data on this dashboard has always been public through several reports, this format is designed to provide a more easily digestible, “at a glance” view of the data, consistent with DPS’ commitment to enhancing transparency and accountability. Creation of this dashboard is also responsive to 21CP Solutions’ recommendation for increased transparency and communication, and it was modeled after the Crime and Workload Dashboard successfully implemented by the Harvard University Police Department (HUPD). Drexel University thanks HUPD for its advice during this project, including permission to use their dashboard as a model. HUPD had also been reviewed by 21CP.

Why has DPS not released this data earlier?
Most of this data has been available to the public in some form or another, either on the DPS website (for example, in the Annual Security Report and Pennsylvania Uniform Crime Reporting). Publicly accessible data is also posted to the Pennsylvania State Police UCR Portal and to the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security website. Hosting data directly related to the activities of the Drexel University Police Department in one location on the DPS website is designed to increase ease of access and transparency.

Why isn't DPS releasing use of force, field stop, and civilian complaint data?
Use of force, civilian complaints and stops cannot be released in their entirety due to confidentiality restraints, because they may contain identifiable or personal information of the parties involved. Such incidents may also be subjects of ongoing criminal or civil proceedings. Use-of-force cases are confidentially reviewed with the Drexel Public Safety Oversight Committee, who may recommend any further actions.

Are third parties reviewing the data before it is released?
During the creation of the dashboard, components of it were reviewed by various key campus committees for input, including members of the DPS Oversight Committee.

How do you ensure the integrity of the data presented on this dashboard?
The Drexel University Police Department is committed to the highest ethical standards in all of its dealings with the Drexel community and is bound by the same Code of Conduct and University policies that foster a culture of honesty, integrity and trust. We are committed to ensuring that all data presented to the community or sent to a government agency is detailed and accurate. All reports have several layers of review to ensure the data meets the requirements, and DPS performs monthly and annual auditing of its records. In addition, DUPD’s data and reporting are subject to audits and reviews by the Pennsylvania State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Department of Education.

Why doesn’t DPS release copies of their incident reports?
In the interest of maintaining community members' privacy, DPS does not disseminate incident reports to the general public. We do not disseminate copies of our police reports; however, we do provide a synopsis of reported criminal incidents on the crime log, representing information from the most recent 60 days. Individuals may contact DPS to request copies of the crime log for up to the last seven years.

Is race/gender data based on self-report or officer assumption?
Race and gender information can be collected through various forms of identification that may list a person/s gender or race and contain a photograph, or through information provided by the subject during the initial contact. During the initial contact, the officer can also inquire as to how the subject identifies themselves. Officers do not identify based on their assumption.

Where can I find more information about the demographics of the Drexel community?
Demographic information on students, faculty, and staff can be found in the Drexel University Factbook.

How often will the dashboard be updated?
The dashboard includes data from the last three completed calendar years. Upon completion of a calendar year, DPS Operations will compile that year’s data, perform the necessary audits of the data, and report it to the relevant authorities, and then the data will be added to the dashboard. Dashboard updates will be communicated to the University community.

Why doesn’t the dashboard data match the statistics in the Annual Security Report?
The Annual Security Report contains statistics reported under the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act), which requires higher education institutions to publicly report crimes that occur on their campuses. The criminal statistic data presented in the dashboard are based on DPS’ Uniform Crime Report (UCR) submissions to the Pennsylvania State Police, which encompass a broader area and include all reported incident occurring in Drexel’s patrol boundaries. However, because the dashboard is meant to reflect the DUPD’s workload, the crime statistics on the dashboard only represent incidents handled exclusively by DUPD. Reported UCR and Clery statistics include all incidents reported to the Drexel University Police Department, regardless of whether they were handled by DUPD.

You can read more about Drexel’s obligations under the Clery Act and PA Uniform Crime Reporting, and find published reports, on DPS’ website.

Will DPS release the raw data summarized in the Dashboard?
At this time, the aggregated data is the only data DPS will be releasing.

Why does the dashboard include only three years’ worth of information? Will community members have access to data from prior years?
The Clery Act requires all colleges and universities to publish the previous three years’ worth of criminal statistics in their Annual Security Report released in October, so DPS used this benchmark as the basis for designing the dashboard. While not included in this dashboard, data is still available via the Annual Security Reports from the last five years (representing seven years’ worth of data), which are archived on the DPS website per Clery requirements.

Calls For Service

A ‘Call for Service’ is a documented record in the Department’s Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) System where an officer is dispatched to or self-initiates a response to situations such as:

  • Alarms
  • Criminal incidents
  • Disturbances
  • Lockouts/building access requests
  • Lost and/or stolen property
  • Medical/safety escorts
  • Suspicious activity/trespassing
  • Wellbeing checks

Calls for Service (CFS) can be initiated by an officer, be requested by any individual who makes a call or report to Drexel Public Safety, or be in response to an alarm, and are addressed either in the field or over the phone. Incident reports are more detailed than a CFS and include information about complainants, victims, offenders, suspects, property, vehicles, etc. Not all calls for service result in an incident report being written — in some cases, such as building access requests and safety escorts, an incident report is not required.

The calls for service data below represent calls where a DUPD officer was assigned to a call. These incidents do not include calls transferred to another public safety agency, Drexel department, or other entity more suited to deal with an issue.

Workload

Annual Calls for Service Totals 2021 2022 2023
Total Number of Calls 6571 7486 14216

The annual average calls for service from 2021-2023 is 9424.

Annually vs. Daily Incident Reports Written

On average, from 2021 and 2023, 5912 incident reports are written annually

On average, 16 incident reports are written each day

Daily

On average, between 2021 and 2023, DPS responded to 26 calls for service each day.

Daily Average Calls Diagram

Numerical Values Presented on Diagram

2021-2023 Annual Averages for top calls for service

On average, the top ten calls for service represent 74% of the total calls for service each year.

Information/Advise- No Action Nec

269

Illegal Parking

218

Report of Theft

254

Disturbance in Business

380

Burglary Alarm

187

Investigate Premise

269

Hospital Case

380

Vehicle Stop

200

Investigation Person

715

Security Building Check

4056

Subtotal:

6927

The remaining 26% of the total calls for service are comprised of services related to non-criminal and criminal behavior, such as noise complaints/disturbances/loud parties (5%), lost property (1%), wellbeing checks (1%), motor vehicle occupied/unoccupied/relocate/broken down (3%), vandalism (1%), assault and batteries/sexual assaults (2%), and suspicious activity (14%).

Calls for Service by Type

The chart below depicts annual averages for calls for service data between 2021 and 2023.

Calls for Service by Type Bar Chart Numerical Values Presented on Bar Chart

Calls for Service Definitions

AUTO ACCIDENT — Documents incidents when the caller states that a vehicle struck another vehicle or fixed object and there are no injuries to report.

BURGLARY ALARM — Documents incidents where DUPD receives an intrusion alarm notification for an exterior door or an interior area protected by an alarm. Calls may come from an alarm company or from individuals who report hearing an alarm coming from a specific location. Officers are dispatched to determine the cause of the alarm and to ensure public safety.

DISTURBANCE IN BUSINESS — Documents incidents when a caller states there is a disturbance inside of a business, (i.e. verbal and/or physical confrontation where there are no weapons of any kind being used).

HOSPITAL CASE — Documents incidents where a student, faculty, staff, or visitor is either sick or injured and a DUPD officer and/or emergency medical personnel assess the individual, which could result in a transport to a medical facility.

INVESTIGATE PERSON — Documents incidents when DUPD officers become aware of a person exhibiting suspicious behavior on campus. Examples of suspicious activity may include (but are not limited to): an unauthorized individual attempting to access a Drexel property; a person loitering near building entrances for an extended period; a person looking into cars, moving from car to car, and/or trying door handles.

INVESTIGATE PREMISE — Documents incidents when it is necessary to check houses or businesses for reasons, such as, persons in vacant houses, lights on in abandoned or closed buildings, or open property.

REPORT OF THEFT — Documents prior incidents where a student, faculty, staff, or visitor reports the theft of personal or University property on campus. This code is used for incidents occurring more than 15 minutes prior to the time of the call.

THEFT IN PROGRESS — Documents incidents where a student, faculty, staff, or visitor reports the theft of personal or University property on campus. In-progress incidents denote when the theft occurred within 15 minutes prior to the call.

SECURITY BUILDING CHECK — Documents incidents when officers are performing security checks of Drexel properties, or other properties or businesses on campus.

VEHICLE STOP — Documents incidents when a police officer is investigating an occupied automobile for traffic violations or when a vehicle is stopped in continuation of an investigation for other reported incidents.

Updated annually. Last updated May 2024.

Criminal Statistics

Pennsylvania Code 22 Pa. Code § 33.111-Reporting crime statistics and rates requires the DUPD to submit Uniform Crime Report numbers monthly to the State Police for publication in the Pennsylvania Uniform Crime Report, Crime in Pennsylvania.

The following criminal statistics detail three calendar years’ worth of the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Part I offenses from 2021-2023 that were reported to the DUPD and subsequently submitted to the Pennsylvania State Police for inclusion in the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) UCR program. The statistics on the dashboard show only those incidents that were responded to by DUPD, whereas UCR statistics that get reported to the State Police include all incidents reported to DUPD, regardless of whether they were handled by DUPD.

Part I offenses include crimes against both persons and property (regardless of whether the individuals involved are affiliated with Drexel), such as:

  • Assault
  • Burglary
  • Larceny
  • Motor Vehicle Theft
  • Murder
  • Rape
  • Robbery

More information about criminal statistics is available on the Clery Act and PA Uniform Crime Reporting webpage.

Violent Crime

Offense 2021 2022 2023
Assault 47 44 65
Homicide 0 1 0
Robbery 22 25 14
Sex Offense 8 6 6
Total Violent Crime 77 76 84

Property Crime

Offense 2021 2022 2023
Arson 0 0 1
Motor Vehicle Theft 33 27 71
Burglary 26 11 14
Larceny 161 325 239
Total Property Crime 220 363 324

Part I Crimes

From 2021 to 2023, Drexel's Public Safety Department carried an average of 381 Part One crimes in our annual Uniform Crime Report.

On average, property crimes account for 79% of total Part One offenses (302 average yearly incidents) and violent crimes account for 21% (79 average yearly incidents) of Part One offenses.


On average, larcenies account for 80% of property crimes (242 average yearly incidents).


From 2021-2023, on average, 79 violent crimes are reported to DPS each year. Of these, 35% (84) are classified as "Other Assaults - Simple, Not Aggravated."

On average, 302 property crimes are reported to DPS each year.

Violent Crime vs. Property Crime Averages

Annual Violent Crime Statistics 2021 - 2023 Averages (Drexel-Reported)

Of the average 79 violent crimes per year:

Assault

52

66%

Robbery

20

26%

Sex Offense

7

8%

Annual Property Crime Statistics 2021 - 2023 Averages (Drexel-Reported)

Of the average 302 property crimes per year:

Larceny

242

80%

Burglary

17

6%

Motor Vehicle Theft

44

14%

The data above is based on calendar year.

Criminal Statistics Definitions

The following definitions are included in Drexel’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, which can be found on the Clery Act and PA Uniform Crime Reporting webpage.

ASSAULT — An unlawful attack that can be classified as ‘aggravated or ‘simple.’ Aggravated assault is an unlawful attack by one person upon another for the purpose of inflicting severe or aggravated bodily injury. This type of assault usually is accompanied by the use of a weapon or by means likely to produce death or great bodily harm. Simple assault is an unlawful physical attack by one person upon another where neither the offender displays a weapon, nor the victim suffers obvious severe or aggrieved bodily injury involving apparent broken bones, loss of teeth, possible internal injury, severe laceration, or loss of consciousness.

BURGLARY — The unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or a theft.

LARCENY — The unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property from the possession, or constructive possession, of another.

MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT — The theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle.

MURDER AND NON-NEGLIGENT HOMICIDE — The willful (non-negligent) killing of one human being by another.

ROBBERY — The taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of force or violence and /or by putting the victim in fear.

SEX OFFENSE — A sexual act that is prohibited by law and performed without consent of the victim, or where the individual cannot consent because of age or temporary or permanent mental incapacity. Sex Offenses include rape and statutory rape, fondling and incest.

Updated annually. Last updated May 2024.

Arrests and Criminal Complaints

An arrest is the power and authority of a police officer to apprehend and deprive persons of their liberty, as provided by law, in order that such persons may be brought before the court to answer to criminal charges.

DUPD Officers are sight officers; they do not have the authority to prepare any affidavits or complaints to obtain an arrest warrant for an offense. This action, through the University’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD), is done only through an investigation by a PPD detective or DUPD detective with the assistance of the PPD.

Per the MOU, DUPD officers can make an arrest in the following circumstances:

  • • for any felony crime, without a warrant, that they witness being committed in their presence;
  • • for a felony with probable cause that is not committed in their presence;
  • • for a felony or misdemeanor that was previously committed if the officer has knowledge that an outstanding arrest warrant was issued for the offender for that specific incident;
  • • for a misdemeanor crime if it is committed in their presence; and
  • • for a summary crime with the issuance of a summary citation for a minor offense committed in their presence.

Total Arrests by Offense

Offense 2021 2022 2023
Assault 4 6 8
Auto Theft 3 4 1
Burglary 0 1 1
Disorderly Conduct 0 7 6
DUI 3 9 1
Investigation 12 13 32
Liquor Law 1 0 1
Narcotic 4 5 1
Robbery 6 11 3
Sex Offense 1 1 3
Theft 3 16 12
Weapons 2 5 1
Total 42 82 80

2021-2023 Demographics: Total Arrests and Criminal Complaints

Arrests and Criminal Complaints by Affiliation

Not Affiliated

198

96%

Staff/Faculty/Contractor

1

<1%

Student

7

3%

By Race - Nonaffiliates (87%)

White

56

27%

Black/African American

137

67%

Unknown

1

<1%

Asian

3

2%

Pacific Islander

1

<1%

By Race - Affiliates (13%)

White

3

2%

Black/African American

2

1%

Unknown

1

<1%

Asian

2

<1%

By Ethnicity - Nonaffiliates

Hispanic

5

2%

Non-Hispanic

157

76%

Unknown

36

17%

By Ethnicity - Affiliates

Non-Hispanic

6

3%

Unknown

2

1%

Arrests and Criminal Complaints by Age

25 and over

146

71%

17-24

49

24%

16 and under

11

5%

Arrests and Criminal Complaints by Gender

Male

172

85%

Female

33

16%

Unknown

1

<1%

Updated annually. Last updated May 2024.