UNM Police: Crime down

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - University of New Mexico Police say out of the 16 top crimes reported to campus police, nearly three-quarters dropped or remained the same.

New statistics released on Tuesday morning cover 2009 to 2010.

Although liquor violations still top the list, the number of cases which received disciplinary action dropped by nearly 100 from the previous year.

Student housing at UNM has a zero tolerance policy on liquor violations. UNM Police Chief Kathy Guimond credits the decline with more housing staff members who encourage students to make better decisions.

Overall safety appears to be improving. The numbers of burglaries and auto thefts have been steadily going down since 2008. Burglaries dropped from 50 to 33 and car theft was down by four.

UNM Police say while the numbers are encouraging, educating students about safety remains key. Police have also worked with staff to limit the hours and number of campus buildings that are open, especially at night and on weekends.