The number of reported burglaries on campus fell from 36 in 2007 to 18 in 2009 — a 50 percent decline. The drop in burglaries accompanies a general decline in crime reported around campus, according to the Cornell University Police Department’s annual security report, which was released on Friday.

CUPD Chief Kathy Zoner attributed the decline in burglaries to the department’s efforts to teach students lessons that they “should have learned in kindergarten,” such as “locking up belongings” and “making sure to close and lock windows.” 

Zoner also said that since the same individual or individuals committed a “significant number” of burglaries reported by the CUPD, “with their arrest, [the frequency of] incidents goes down.” 

Crime totals are down as well, with the number of total crimes on campus decreasing by 50 percent between 2007 and 2009, the most recent year for which statistics are available.

The number of motor vehicle thefts, for instance, fell from three in 2007 to two in 2008 and zero in 2009.

The reduction in crime comes despite budget cuts to the CUPD, which Zoner said prevented the department from adding extra staff and forced some positions to consolidate. She said “targeted patrols” had been useful in preventing crime, but maintained that educating students had made the biggest difference in reducing burglaries.

The one increase in reported incidents came in forcible sex offenses. After three reported incidents in 2007 and zero in 2008, CUPD reported four incidents for 2009.

Zoner said she could not give figures for 2010, but confirmed that there had been at least three forcible sex offense incidents this year.

“Those things tend to fluctuate,” Zoner said, explaining that often “one or two perpetrators are creating a lot of the destruction.”