Combating crime a focus at Clarksville's Austin Peay State University

Clarksville's Austin Peay State University is taking a proactive approach to crime.

The university has seen a steady decrease in crime over the last three years, new statistics from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) reveal, but the statistics were primarily taken during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting data from 2021.

“There's just been fewer people on campus,” Austin Peay State University Police Chief Sammie Williams explained of the numbers, which were released by the TBI earlier this year. He hopes to maintain the downward trend.

At Austin Peay, the number of offenses dropped from 200 in 2018 to under 100 in 2021. Drug violations had the highest numbers each year, with an average of 46.2% between 2018 and 2021. Theft cases accounted for 20.6% of the crimes, and assault was 14.4%.

COVID-19 restrictions were relaxed near the end of 2020, but the impacts from the pandemic were still felt in 2021.

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“While the difference between the 2020 and 2021 data is not as pronounced as the year before, pandemic-based restrictions still seem to indicate a notable impact on reported crime,” the 2021 TBI Crime in Tennessee report said.

Community involvement also plays a role in crime reduction, Williams said. He credits Austin Peay State University's students and staff with the continued drop in crime and encourages those involved on campus to communicate with police and to say something if they see something.

“In our patrol efforts, we focus mainly on making sure that we're out and about. So we're seen out there,” Williams said. This is particularly helpful when it comes to theft cases, particularly those that happen in public view, he said, noting that 26% of campus theft cases between 2018 and 2021 were vehicle-related, with an average of 27 cases per year.

“One of the things that we're trying to encourage people to do is lock your vehicle, because a lot of our thefts are just simply someone walking through a parking lot, checking door handles,” Williams said.

Austin Peay Junior Kadeem McCarthy praised the university's efforts.

"I have never felt uncomfortable or unsafe at any point or location," McCarthy said. "The campus does an excellent job at informing students about emergencies on campus...the faculty, staff, campus police, and all other employees and associates of Austin Peay have made my college experience a very safe and welcoming one."

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The university is focusing on efforts beyond the police department as well.

In February 2021, Austin Peay welcomed Lynn Fisher as its first director of emergency management.

Fisher has been teaching a new workshop called “Govs PEAYpared," which covers emergency notifications, types of hazards, where to go and what to do in the event of an emergency on campus.

Since April, she's taught 12 workshops, with more than 300 people in attendance. All faculty, staff and students are able to request a workshop.

“My goal as the first emergency manager for Austin Peay is to bring focus to planning, preparing and responding to threats and hazards to promote a prepared and resilient Austin Peay State University community,” Fisher said in an email. When she first took office, Fisher's primary focus was on COVID-19 and making sure the APSU community was safe, she said.

"I am finally getting to the best part of my job, preparing our community so that we may act with confidence and compassion during an emergency," she wrote.

Students can reach out to APSU Police by phone at (931) 221-7786 or through the the LiveSafe app.

Reporter Kyle Watts contributed to this story. 

Reach Reporter Marissa England at marissaengland@theleafchronicle.com or (615) 823-9868. To support her work, sign up for a digital subscription to TheLeafChronicle.com.

This article originally appeared on Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle: Clarksville's Austin Peay State University taking steps to lower crime