Report details crime at Mesa Community College campuses

By Richard Dyer
Mail | X: @RHDyer

There were three crimes reported in 2023 — one rape, a fondling incident and a burglary — at Mesa Community College’s main campus in the Maricopa County Community College District, according to a federally mandated campus-security report released in September.

There were no crimes reported in 2022 or 2021 on campus, at non-campus property or on public property.

MCC police are not seeing a trend in sexual-assault crimes with the two reported in 2023.

“Although there has been an increase in those categories, from zero to one in 2023, we have not had any indicators or reports showing a crime trend,” MCC Police Cmdr. Sonny Hudson said. “We will continue to be vigilant as a police department and encourage all of our members to do the same.”

One way MCC is keeping students safe from such crimes is to inform them of emergency procedures and services provided by college police, he said.

“During September Safety Month, information was given out to the college community, through internal communication, regarding safety tips. These safety tips ranged from the quickest way to contact college police, emergency procedures, as well as escort services provided by college police,” he said. “Self-defense classes for females are now being offered periodically at different campuses throughout the Maricopa County Community College District.”

Under arrests and disciplinary referrals, there was one alcohol arrest in 2023 at the main campus.

Students can be suspended or expelled for drugs and alcohol at the MCC campuses and center.

“We remain vigilant in following federal, state and Maricopa County Community College District policies and procedures. Students and employees are subject to applicable district policies and disciplinary procedures. Sanctions may include suspension or expulsion for student offenders or termination of employment for employees,” said Julie Givans Voller, MCC’s dean of student development and student affairs.

The 101-page Mesa Community College report can be downloaded at https://www.mesacc.edu/college-police/policies-crime-statistics.

Last year’s report was 85 pages.

“This year, the report is covering information about new Title IX requirements regarding pregnant and parenting students. MCCCD is currently training all employees on the new procedure,” Hudson said.

There were 16,624 students at Mesa Community College in fall 2023, 15,004 students in fall 2022 and 16,494 students in fall 2021, according to 45th-day headcounts in each of those years, MCC said.

Statistics must be reported

The Student Right to Know and Campus Security Act of 1990, renamed The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security and Crime Statistics Act, was enacted by Congress and signed into law in November 1990. In 1992, 2000, 2008 and 2013, Congress amended the law via the Higher Education Opportunity and Violence Against Women acts, which expanded the reporting criteria.

Jeanne Clery was 19 when she was raped and murdered in her college dormitory. Her parents, Connie and Howard Clery, could not have known the danger she was in; standards for campus crime reporting did not exist in 1986, according to clerycenter.org, the website for the nonprofit Clery Center.

“The Clery Act requires colleges and universities that receive federal funding to disseminate a public annual security report to employees and students every Oct. 1. This ASR must include statistics of campus crime for the preceding three calendar years, plus details about efforts taken to improve campus safety,” according to the website.

Crimes that are required to be listed by the colleges are, according to the report:

• Murder/non-negligent manslaughter;
• Negligent manslaughter;
• Rape;
• Fondling;
• Incest;
• Statutory rape;
• Robbery;
• Aggravated assault;
• Burglary;
• Motor vehicle theft;
• Arson;
• Domestic violence;
• Dating violence;
• Stalking.

It also includes crimes handled by local police, such as liquor, drug and weapon violations; and hate crimes.

MCC main campus

In 2023 there was one rape, one fondling incident and one burglary on campus at Mesa Community College’s main campus, 1833 W. Southern Ave. in Mesa, according to the report.

There were no crimes reported in 2022 or 2021 on campus, at non-campus property or on public property.

There was one stalking incident on campus in 2022 and one domestic violence incident on campus in 2021. There were no domestic violence dating violence or stalking incidents in 2023.

Under arrests and disciplinary referrals, there was one alcohol arrest in 2023 on campus, one drug arrest on campus in 2022 and none in 2021.

There was one unfounded crime reported in 2023; unfounded means the crime report is false or baseless.

Red Mountain campus

For all three years there were no crimes or arrests and disciplinary referrals reported at the Red Mountain Campus, 7110 E. McKellips Road in Mesa.

Downtown Center

There was one robbery in 2021 on non-campus property and no crimes in 2022 or 2023 at the Downtown Center, 145 N. Centennial Way in Mesa.

There were no arrests or disciplinary referrals reported for all three years.

Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.

Richard Dyer
Managing Editor | East Valley

rdyer@iniusa.org

Meet Richard
Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.  

Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions. 

Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.

Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.

Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.