Crime Statistics

Crimes are reported by the geographical categories as defined and explained below.

On Campus: (I) any building or property owned or controlled by an institution of higher education within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area of the institution and used by the institution in direct support of, or in a manner related to, the institution’s educational purposes, including residence halls; and (II) property within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area of the institution that is owned by the institution but controlled by another person, is used by students and supports institution purposes.

In the tables below, “on campus” includes (1) all property on the central campus including UNC Hospitals (2) all University-owned or controlled property reasonably contiguous to central campus used in direct support of, or related to, its educational purposes. Crime statistics for residence halls, including Granville Towers, are included in the “on campus” statistics. The tables also show separate crime statistics for University residence halls. Because of this, statistics for housing are reported twice, once separately in housing and once in campus together with other crimes occurring on the campus as a whole.

Non-campus building or property: (I) any building or property owned or controlled by a student organization recognized by the institution; and (II) any building or property owned or controlled by an institution of higher education that is used in direct support of, or in relation to, the institution’s educational purposes, is used by students and is not within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area of the institution. This category also includes fraternities and sororities.

Public property: all public property that is within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area of the institution, such as a sidewalk, a street, other thoroughfare, or parking facility and is adjacent to a facility owned or controlled by the institution if the facility is used by the institution in direct support of, or in a manner related to the institution’s educational purposes.

These definitions are taken from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) handbook and are required to be used for the classification of Clery Crimes and Incidents.

Aggravated Assault

An unlawful attack by one person upon another for the purpose of inflicting severe or aggravated bodily injury. This type of assault usually is accompanied by the use of a weapon or by means likely to produce death or great bodily harm (includes attempted Criminal Homicide and whether or not an injury occurred).

Arson

Any willful or malicious burning or attempt to burn, with or without the intent to defraud), a dwelling house, public building, motor vehicle or aircraft, personal property of another, etc.

Burglary

The unlawful entry of a structure (four walls, a roof and a door) to commit a felony or theft. (includes forced and non-forced entry)

Dating violence

Violence committed by a person who is or has been in a social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with the victim. The existence of such a relationship shall be determined based on the reporting party’s statement and with consideration of:

• The length of the relationship.
• The type of relationship.
• The frequency of interaction between the persons involved in the relationship.

Domestic violence

A felony or misdemeanor crime of violence committed by:

• A current or former spouse or intimate partner of the victim;
• By a person with whom the victim shares a child in common:
• By a person who is cohabitating with, or has cohabitated with, the victim as a spouse or intimate partner;
• By a person similarly situated to a spouse of the victim under the domestic or family violence laws of the jurisdiction in which the crime of violence occurred; or
• By any other person against an adult or youth victim who is protected from that person’s acts under the domestic or family violence laws of the jurisdiction in which the crime of violence occurred.

Motor Vehicle Theft

The theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle (does not include air or water craft).

Murder

The willful (non-negligent) killing of a human being by another.

Negligent Manslaughter

The killing of another person through gross negligence.

Robbery

The taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of force or violence and/or by putting the victim in fear.

Sex Offenses

Any sexual act directed against another person, without the consent of the victim, including instances where the victim in incapable of giving consent.

• Rape: Penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.
• Fondling: The touching of the private body parts of another person for the purpose of sexual gratification, without the consent of the victim, including instances where the victim is incapable of giving consent because of his/her age or because of his/her temporary or permanent mental incapacity.
• Incest: Sexual intercourse between persons who are related to each other within the degrees wherein marriage is prohibited by law.
• Statutory Rape: Sexual intercourse with a person who is under the statutory age of consent.

Stalking

Engaging in a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to Fear for the person’s safety or the safety of others or suffer substantial emotional distress.

• Course of conduct: means two or more acts, including, but not limited to, acts in which the stalker directly, indirectly, or through third parties, by any action, method, device, or means, follows, monitors, observes, surveils, threatens, or communicates to or about a person, or interferes with a person’s property.
• Reasonable Person: means a reasonable person under similar circumstances and with similar identities to the victim.
• Substantial Emotional Distress: means significant mental suffering or anguish that may, but does not necessarily, require medical or other professional treatment or counseling.

Hate Crime

A criminal act involving one or more of the aforementioned crimes, as well as the crimes of:

• Larceny/Theft: The unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property from the possession or constructive possession of another
• Simple Assault: An unlawful physical attack by one person upon another where neither the offender displays a weapon, nor the victim suffers obvious severe or aggravated bodily injury involving apparent broken bones, loss of teeth, possible internal injury, severe laceration, or loss of consciousness
• Destruction of Property/Vandalism: To willfully or maliciously destroy, damage, deface, or otherwise injure real or personal property without the consent of the owner or the person having custody or control of it
• Intimidation: To unlawfully place another person in reasonable fear of bodily harm through the use of threatening words and/or other conduct, but without displaying a weapon or subjecting the victim to actual physical attack which is shown or suspected to have been motivated by bias against any person or group of persons, or the property of any person or group of persons based upon the perception that the person or group has one or more of the following characteristics:
  • Ethnicity/National Origin: A performed negative opinion or attitude toward a group of persons of the same race or national origin who share common or similar traits, languages, customs and traditions (e.g. Arabs, Hispanics)
  • Race: A performed negative opinion or attitude toward a group of persons who possess common physical characteristics (e.g. color of skin, eyes and/or hair, facial features, etc.) genetically transmitted by descent and heredity, which distinguish them as a distinct division of humankind (e.g. Asians, Blacks, whites)
  • Religion: A performed negative opinion or attitude toward a group of persons who share the same religious beliefs regarding the origin and purpose of the universe and the existence or nonexistence of a supreme being (e.g. Catholics, Jews, Protestants, atheists)
  • Disability: A performed negative opinion or attitude toward a group of persons based on their physical or mental impairments/challenges, whether such disability is temporary or permanent, congenital, or acquired by heredity, accident, injury, advanced age, or illness
  • Gender: A performed negative opinion or attitude toward a group of persons because those persons are male or female
  • Sexual Orientation: A performed negative opinion or attitude toward a group of persons based on their sexual attraction toward, and responsiveness to, members of their own sex or members of the opposite sex (e.g. gays, lesbians, heterosexuals)
  • Gender Identity: A performed negative opinion or attitude toward a group of persons based on their actual or perceived gender identity (e.g., bias against transgender or gender non-conforming individuals)

Drug/Narcotic Violations

The unlawful possession, distribution, sale, purchase, use, transportation, importation, cultivation and/or manufacturing of any controlled drug or narcotic substance and the equipment or devices utilized in their preparation and/or use. *Drawn from State Statutes and County/Local Ordinances.*

Liquor Law Violations

The unlawful possession, sale, transportation, manufacturing, furnishing alcohol to a minor (under 21 years), or maintaining an unlawful drinking place. The Clery Act does not require reporting “public drunkenness” or DUI/DWI offenses. *Drawn from State Statutes and County/Local Ordinances.*

Illegal Weapon Violations

The unlawful possession or control of any firearm, deadly weapon, illegal knife or explosive device while on the property of UNC-Chapel Hill except as required in the lawful course of business (i.e. sworn law enforcement personnel). *Drawn from State Statutes and County/Local Ordinances.*

Prior to the 2020 ASR, incidents occurring at the Institute for Marine Sciences were reflected in the non-campus property category of the main campus crime statistics.

As a courtesy to students living and working in the Chapel Hill and Carrboro area, outside the University’s defined Clery geography, the University includes certain statistics for these larger geographic areas. These statistics are not required by the Clery Act and include crimes that did not occur within defined Clery geography.

• Town of Carrboro
• Town of Chapel Hill