Liquor and drug violations were the most common crimes on WKU’s main campus in 2024, according to the Annual Campus Safety and Security Report released by the WKU Police Department. 

WKUPD sends out the report each year to comply with the 1990 federal Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, which is a part of the Higher Education Opportunity Act. The report also complies with the Michael Minger Act.

WKU saw a drop in crime during the years of 2020-2021 due to COVID-19. This was due to students not being on campus and sheltering in place, Mitch Walker, WKUPD Chief of Police, said. After students returned to campus in the following years, crime rose.

“As things open up, things do occur,” Walker said. “But I think overall, our campus is safe and we have a great community (and) great partnership with other law enforcement agencies.”

There were 93 liquor law violations on campus that led to disciplinary action in 2024, with 13 leading to arrests or citations. Drug violations that led to disciplinary action occurred 72 times, while those leading to arrests occurred 27 times.

While liquor law violations led the crime statistics, 2024’s number was a decrease from the previous two years. 2023 had 158 violations and 2022 had 107 violations.

“I think around college campuses, that (liquor law violations) would be something you’d see quite often,” Walker said.

Since 2022, WKU’s main campus has seen an upward trend in various crimes.

There were 21 stalking cases in 2024, compared to 16 in 2023 and eight in 2022. Walker said this could be a result of students not reporting stalking in the past.

“It’s really hard to say whether that number has always been there, and now people feel like they can talk to the police,” Walker said.

Motor vehicle theft on campus occurred 11 times in 2024, an increase from eight cases in 2023 and one case in 2022. 

Domestic violence has increased in cases per year since 2020. Two cases occurred in 2024, following zero cases on campus in 2023, one case in 2022 and zero cases in 2020 and 2021.

Burglaries have also seen an increase since 2022. There were 12 total burglary cases in 2024, compared to four in 2023 and 2022.

Walker said he could not identify the reasons why these trends occur.

There were two rapes reported last year on campus, according to the report, which is down from the nine cases reported on campus in 2023. Both were reported to have happened on campus, with one case occurring within a residential facility.

No cases of hate crimes, murder and manslaughter were reported in 2024. There were four instances of weapon possession arrests.

The annual safety report also covered fires on WKU’s campuses. The main campus saw five total fires in 2024. Three were located in residence halls and the Kentucky Street Apartments, while the other two occurred in the Martens Alumni Center and the L.D. Brown Agriculture Expo Center. All but one exceeded damages of $250.

The largest fire occurred in Pearce Ford Tower on April 9, caused by a grease fire. The damages equated to $4,000.

The safety report outlined various safety programs in place for WKU students and faculty to spread awareness about safety on campus. Some programs include: self-defense training, campus violence prevention training and crime stoppers. 

“Please call us, even if you think it’s nothing,” Walker said. “See something, say something.”