Infographic by Charlotte Braden

California Lutheran University’s 2024 Annual Safety Report revealed a decrease in stalking incidents and increases in motor vehicle thefts, drug violations, domestic violence and sexual assaults reported at the Thousand Oaks campus compared to 2023.

Called the Clery Report, the document contains Cal Lutheran’s “security policy disclosures, fire and crime statistics for the years 2022, 2023, and 2024, for all campuses, and is published and distributed annually by Oct. 1, in accordance with the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act,” according to a Sept. 30 email from David Hilke, director of Campus Safety.

“The Clery Act requires colleges and universities that receive federal funding to disseminate a public annual security report (ASR) to employees and students every October 1st. This ASR must include statistics of campus crime for the preceding 3 calendar years, plus details about efforts taken to improve campus safety,” according to the Clery Center’s website. 

Stalking on the Thousand Oaks campus decreased from seven incidents in 2023 to three in 2024. None of stalking recorded in 2024 occurred in the residential facilities, noting a drop from the five incidents that occurred in residential facilities in 2023. 

Motor vehicle theft increased from zero reported incidents in 2022 to three in 2024.  Data for 2023 motor vehicle thefts was not included in the 2024 report.

Hilke said in an email interview that all three instances were related to overnight thefts of university-owned golf carts. 

Individuals who stole the golf carts were caught on surveillance footage, and the golf carts were found on campus property, Hilke said. He also said that to protect all vehicles, campus safety does routine drives around campus.

Drug violations increased from two in 2023 to seven in 2024. Five occurred within residential facilities, Hilke said. 

On-campus sex offenses, specifically rape, also saw an increase in 2024. There were a pair of recorded instances in 2024, while there weren’t any in 2023.

Hilke said that one of the incidents of rape occurred in 2022, but was not reported until 2024. 

Hilke said, to prevent incidents of rape from occurring, Cal Lutheran has introduced new programs to its new student orientations. 

A program called “I Said – You Said” was presented at New Student Orientation, meant to educate incoming students on the importance of consent, sexual misconduct and bystander intervention, according to Hilke. 

Domestic violence also increased from two reported incidents in 2023 to five in 2024, although the report noted that four of the incidents involved the same two parties across various locations over a two-day period. 

“Each incident was documented separately due to variations in location and the time intervals between occurrences,” Hilke said. 

Hilke said that Campus Safety was not made aware of the incidents until after all four had occurred, and that once they were made aware, Campus Safety contacted the Thousand Oaks Police Department to acquire a temporary restraining order.

Student Life hosts multiple events educating students on domestic violence, Hilke said. The Stall Street Journal, a series of posters displayed in campus bathrooms, currently lists harmful dating behaviors, mentioning to students some of the early signs of violent relationships. The posters also have resources listed for students to contact if they need help. 

Anna Guerin, director of Counseling and Psychological Services, said in an email interview that while there are some signs of domestic violence students can learn about, sometimes situations cannot be avoided no matter how many precautions are taken. Guerin said it is important that victims do not blame themselves for what happened to them. 

“It is ok to ask someone what type of support they would like. Provid[ing] resources can also be a helpful tool. Check-ins or acknowledgements can also be helpful, especially around anniversaries of events,” Guerin said.

Cal Lutheran offers multiple different resources to survivors of traumatic events on or off-campus both in person and virtually, Guerin said.

“The resources that are available to CLU students include: Counseling and Psychological Services, Campus Safety, TimelyCare, Health Services and Campus Ministry to name a few,” Guerin said. 

Wellness Resources also has a page detailing sexual violence education. Multiple resources and hotlines are provided, as well as an outline defining consent.

“For trauma survivors, it may be hard to hear at times, but, ‘You are worthy,’’ Guerin said.