University students were arrested significantly less for liquor law violations last year than in 2006 or 2007, according to the institution's most recent Clery Act report.
The report, published recently by the University Police, shows that the number of alcohol-related arrests fell from 125 and 119 arrests in 2006 and 2007, respectively, to 80 in 2008.
University Police Capt. Michael Coleman noted, however, that there is "always some variation [from to year]." Drunk in public and DUI charges have never been included in the Clery Act report's figures, he said, and the number of arrests include only those made by University Police officials.
"It doesn't represent the complete view, because it doesn't include those other two important numbers," Coleman said.
Additionally, the figure does not include arrests made in "areas not immediately adjacent to campus," according to the report, meaning an arrest on University Avenue might be included in the report, but one on 14th Street might not.
Because several different factors influence the statistics, Coleman said he "can't give a hard and fast reason" for the decline in 2008.
Dean of Students Allen Groves took a similar stance, citing a variety of possible causes.
"There are a lot of things that could influence this behavior," Groves said.
Groves drew particular attention to the actions of students and University administrators to improve the level of alcohol awareness on Grounds, noting that these educational outreach efforts may have contributed to the decline in arrests.
"We have really ratcheted up the [alcohol] education," Groves said, referring to a compulsory online alcohol education course for first-year students enacted prior to 2008.
He also said the lower 2008 figure could simply stem from students making better decisions and "self-policing" themselves.
Regardless of the reasons for the statistical drop, Groves said he was encouraged by the report.
"Based on alcohol and drug numbers, it makes me feel reasonably good," Groves said.
The Clery Act, which also reports figures pertaining to crimes unrelated to liquor violations, is named after Jeanne Clery, who was murdered and raped in 1990 while attending Lehigh University. Signed into law in 1990, the Clery Act forces colleges and universities that receive federal funding for financial aid to disclose all crimes that have taken place on and in the immediate vicinity of their campuses.
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