Misleading crime statistics unacceptable
Thumbs down to the Department of Education for publishing
inaccurate crime statistics for many college campuses, including
UCLA. Recent sexual assaults and attempted rapes on campus
emphasize the importance of detailed and accurate information about
safety in the UCLA community.
In accordance with an amendment to the 1998 Clery Act, public
colleges must submit crime statistics broken down according to
campus geography. Previously, colleges released campus totals of
crime data without specifying where the crimes had taken place. A
careless oversight in the online data entries filled in zeros for
the unaccounted data, providing misleading figures to the public.
The Department of Education needs to change the information form to
it make clear that some of the information is not available, rather
than nonexistent. Distinctions between the surrounding campus area,
on-campus sites and residence halls should be made clear. Also,
statistics should not be limited to cases reported to university
police; the data should also include incidents reported to campus
resource centers because many victims never go to the police.
The public should not receive inaccurate information about
campus safety. Ensuring information is organized, detailed and 100
percent accurate will help community members take precautions and
increase safety.
Boxer leads opposition to Ashcroft
Thumbs up to California Sen. Barbara Boxer for taking the lead
in opposing John Ashcroft, George W. Bush’s pick for Attorney
General. The former Missouri senator has consistently expressed
extreme right-wing views many believe will influence his management
of the Justice Department.
Ashcroft not only ardently opposes a woman’s right to
choose, but also expresses racist views. He strongly opposed the
appointment of Ronnie White, an African American, to the Federal
Judicial Branch. Though he said White overturned too many death
penalty cases, Ashcroft has appointed white judges with similar
records.
Ashcroft accepted an honorary degree from Bob Jones University,
a school that banned interracial dating until recently, and said in
a speech there that religion and Christian values are important in
shaping politics and public policy. He further stated that America
was founded on the principle that “we have no king but
Jesus” and that the highest standard belonged to religious
laws, not civil authority. This extremist view is particularly
disturbing because Ashcroft, as attorney general, would be
enforcing the laws of a nation with people of many beliefs and
religions.
We are glad Sen. Boxer has voiced dissatisfaction with
Ashcroft’s nomination. We hope other senators will follow her
example and take a stand against someone who represents
intolerance.
Panel report ignores students, staff
Thumbs down to the Administrative Review Panel for not granting
sufficient consideration to the testimony of students and
administrators when reviewing misconduct charges brought against
the university police department. The charges resulted from an
incident last February involving a police officer who allegedly
drove his motorcycle into the path of student protesters.
Rather than focusing on specific charges made by students and
administrators, the review panel chose to focus on the broader
issue of poor communication between police officers and students.
Among the specific incidents overlooked was a complaint by
administrator Lyle Timmerman describing how a UCPD officer struck
him. Administrators Berky Nelson and Robert Naples have spoken out
against the apparent bias of the report. These administrators
constantly work with students and attend student events, campus
demonstrations and even Midnight Yell. While we agree the breakdown
of communication should be addressed, the panel should have
considered specific testimony provided by students and
administrators.
A comprehensive, fair report should include testimony from
students, administrators and the UCPD. The Administrative Review
Panel did not do this and the result was a skewed investigation
that openly ignores those who felt they were mistreated.
Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down represents the majority opinion of the
Daily Bruin Editorial Board. Send feedback to [email protected].