Campus Crime Trends: Analyzing Safety Stats At WTAMU And Texas Tech

It's graduation season in Amarillo, Texas. Invitations are going out. Tickets are being mailed to family and friends. Soon, our high school seniors will walk across a stage and then set their sights on college. As parents, we worry and wonder whether or not the campus our children will be on is safe. Thankfully, there is a way we can compare just how safe college campuses are in Texas.

Campus Crimes In The U.S. Have Been On The Rise

Thanks to USA Today, we have a handy tool that allows us to look up colleges across the nation and see what types of crimes have been reported at those campuses, and how many instances of those crimes were reported.

The crimes are broken down into categories that include aggravated assault, burglary, motor vehicle theft, rape, fondling, and even murder.

How Safe Is West Texas A&M University In Canyon, Texas?

Looking at the numbers over the past several years, WTAMU saw a slight surge in crimes reported after a significant drop in 2020. In 2020 the numbers were low for obvious reasons; only 5 crimes were reported. Numbers rose in post-pandemic 2021 to 14. In 2022, the data shows that 21 crimes were reported. Those crimes broken down looked like this:

• Burglary - 4
• Motor Vehicle Theft - 4
• Aggravated Assault - 6
• Robbery - 1
• Statutory Rape - 1
• Fondling - 2
• Rape - 3

How Does WTAMU Compare To Texas Tech?

Texas Tech in Lubbock saw crimes decrease in 2022 from 106 in 2021 to 90. Those crimes when broken down look like this:

• Rape - 23
• Fondling - 8
• Robbery - 2
• Aggravated Assault - 19
• Burglary - 23
• Motor Vehicle Theft - 14
• Arson - 1

Crimes at Texas Tech in Lubbock hit a 3-year plateau hovering around 60 heading into 2020. In 2020 there were 47 crimes reported before a surge in 2021 to over 100.

Considering the varying population sizes of college campuses, it's hard to say one is safer than the other. The best thing you can do to prepare your child for heading out into college life is to teach them how to make wise decisions. Teach them to always be aware of their surroundings and the people they're with. Also, if a crime happens, report it to authorities.