Recent claims from the White House regarding a significant increase in violent crime at Harvard University have been challenged by data from the university's own police department. The Harvard Crimson, the student newspaper, highlighted official figures showing a different trend, particularly a decrease in violent offenses.
Key Takeaways
- White House stated Harvard crime, including violent crime, "drastically risen."
- Harvard University Police Department data shows violent crime decreased over 50% between 2023 and 2024.
- Overall crime increase attributed mainly to electric scooter thefts.
- Hate crimes saw a slight decrease in total numbers but an increase in religiously motivated incidents.
White House Assertions on Campus Safety
In June, the White House released a statement claiming that crime at Harvard University had "drastically risen in recent years." The administration also suggested that Harvard had become an "unsafe campus environment." This was attributed to what they called "anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators" who allegedly harassed and physically assaulted individuals.
These statements drew a direct response from The Harvard Crimson. The student newspaper's editorial board reviewed official crime statistics to verify the administration's claims.
Fact Check: White House vs. HUPD Data
- White House Claim: Violent crime at Harvard has "drastically risen in recent years."
- HUPD Data (2023-2024): Violent crime decreased by more than 50%.
Examining Harvard Police Data
Contrary to the White House's assertions, data from the Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) indicates a different reality. The Harvard Crimson's editorial pointed to these official figures, which show a notable decline in violent crime.
Specifically, violent crime reports decreased by more than 50% between 2023 and 2024. This significant drop directly contradicts the narrative of a "drastically risen" violent crime rate.
Overall Crime Trends
While violent crime has decreased, the overall crime rate on campus has seen an increase since 2021. However, The Harvard Crimson's analysis clarified the primary cause for this rise.
The newspaper reported that the increase in overall crime is largely due to a surge in the theft of electric scooters. These incidents are categorized as motor vehicle thefts by the HUPD.
Understanding Crime Categories
Police departments classify various incidents into categories. Motor vehicle theft typically includes cars, motorcycles, and, in this case, electric scooters. This classification can impact how overall crime statistics appear.
Detailed Crime Statistics
A closer look at the HUPD data reveals specific trends. From 2021 to 2022, the overall crime rate increased from 189 incidents to 301 incidents. This spike was primarily driven by motor vehicle thefts.
The number of motor vehicle thefts rose from 75 in 2022 to 139 in 2023. This trend continued into 2024, with 165 reported motor vehicle thefts. These thefts accounted for half of all crimes reported last year.
"No matter what the media and the White House may say, Harvard has not descended into a bastion of terror-sympathizers or violent mobs. And don’t just take our word for it – every day, hundreds of tourists fearlessly walk through the Yard without incident," the editorial board wrote.
Hate Crime Reports
The HUPD report also included data on hate crimes. In 2024, there were seven reported hate crimes, a decrease from 10 incidents in 2023. However, five of the seven hate crimes reported in 2024 were religiously motivated. This marks an increase from two religiously motivated hate crimes in 2023.
The editorial board noted that the relatively small number of hate crime incidents makes it challenging to conclude a "substantial" increase in hate crimes overall, despite the rise in religiously motivated incidents.
University Response
Boston.com reached out to the Harvard University Police Department for further comments. The HUPD directed all additional questions to the Harvard media relations team. As of the time of this report, the media relations team had not provided a response.
The Harvard Crimson's editorial serves as a significant counterpoint to the White House's claims, emphasizing the importance of relying on verified police data when discussing campus safety.
Crime Data Highlights
- 2021: 189 overall incidents
- 2022: 301 overall incidents
- 2023: 139 motor vehicle thefts
- 2024: 165 motor vehicle thefts (50% of all reported crimes)
- 2023: 10 hate crimes (2 religiously motivated)
- 2024: 7 hate crimes (5 religiously motivated)
