Glyndwr University Crime Stats Debunked

Annual crime statistics for universities around the country have been released, indicating again that Glyndwr is one of the ‘least safe places’ in England and Wales to study.

The crime statistics are published on the Complete University Guide every year, generally around the summer period.

The crime rate data used is publicly viewable on the Police.uk site, and the Complete University Guide states: “Official data for crime specifically against students is not available, so we have taken professional advice on the crimes most relevant to students and have looked at – burglary, robbery and violent crime.”

This would imply that they believe students are not likely to be affected by anti social behaviour, vehicle crime, public disorder, shoplifting, criminal damage and arson, other theft, drugs and ‘other crime’.

This year Glyndwr has been ranked as one of the least-safe places to study, with a grand total of 24.65. This year’s results means Glyndwr is listed near the bottom of the university ranking table and is ever so slightly ‘safer’ than universities in Hull, Manchester, Liverpool and Salford.

However the figures released on the Complete University Guide (CUG) contradict the on-site crime figures released by Glyndwr University – which show there have been 18 incidents at the in the last 12 months, and seven this calendar year.

The CUG study was based on incidences of burglary, violent crime and robbery within a three mile radius of the main Wrexham campus, which includes the town centre, supermarkets, pubs and the Caia Park housing estate.

In terms of Glyndwr’s Mold Road campus, which by our rudimentary Google-maps-scale-and-conversion-on-a-ruler gives a radius that pretty much covers the entire town. To the east such a scale would read as far as the edge of the industrial estate, to the west it would also cover Brymbo, Coedpoeth and Gwersyllt.

Wrexham town centre Inspector Wycherley has dismissed the figures and said they “do not reflect” the hard work of police and Glyndŵr University, which he described as a “very safe place to study”.

“The statistics I have seen do not reflect the actual records pertaining to the University itself, as they include areas of the town centre, which has the busiest night time economy in North Wales,” he said.

“In actual fact the number of crimes reported on campus within the last 12 months totals 18, including three thefts from motor vehicles, three thefts of pedal cycles, two thefts of unattended handbags and one of criminal damage.”

Inspector Wycherley added: “Clearly our aim is for no crime whatsoever to take place and that is a challenge we relish, working with Wrexham Community Safety Partnership and University staff.

Back in 2012 we asked whether or not Glyndwr had been given an unfair pasting, after the Daily Post ran a story with the headline stating “Wrexham is worst university town for violent crime says survey”.

Earlier this morning we posted a link to our story from 2012 on Twiter, which has generated a reaction from some of our followers

Former Student Guild President for 2011-13, Adam Fuller said: “I can confirm that students never had any issues with violent crime in Wrexham. I can state that with confidence as I was the person who would be brought in to deal with such issues.”

PCSO Hodges also tweeted in response to today’s figures, stating: “Misleading guide back in 2012. We will continue our work there again in September with new initiatives.”

The Wrexham Lager Club tweeted: “Seen your story about the Complete University Guide. We have student members, not aware they have been victims of crime. Let’s talk our town up, not down.”

Following last year’s CUG study the University and North Wales Police revealed that not one crime had taken place on the Wrexham campus in the six months leading up to the report, and in the previous 12 months there were no violent incidents, no thefts from vehicles, no burglaries and no robberies on-site.

The University said it was disappointed to see the same criteria being used again and again in the yearly CUG report.

A spokesperson for Glyndwr University said: “We are frustrated that the University is being painted in such a negative light, especially as virtually no crime takes place on-campus.

“We take the security of our students extremely seriously and work with the local council, the police and other public authorities through the Wrexham Community Safety Partnership to improve negative public perceptions of Wrexham unnecessarily inflamed by reports such as this.”

A full look at the facts and figures for universities across the country can be found on the Complete University Guide website here. Alternatively you can visit the Police.uk website and have a nose at crime in Wrexham for yourself.

Find out more about Glyndwr University at its August 16 open day, or visit the website: www.glyndwr.co.uk

(Pictured above – May crime stats within a one mile radius of Glyndwr University)