Penn State Harrisburg campus rated safest in Pennsylvania

An independent online service has rated Penn State Harrisburg the safest college campus in Pennsylvania and among the safest in the nation.

StateUniversity.com, which ranks the nation’s colleges on topics ranging from academics to overall enrollment, rates the Penn State Harrisburg campus as having the lowest incidence of serious crime in the Commonwealth.

Penn State Harrisburg Chief of Police Kevin Stoehr said, “Colleges and Universities are mandated by federal law to disclose their crime statistics. The StateUniversity.com ratings focus on Part 1, more serious crime made public in our Uniform Crime Reports.”

The study, which took reports from 2010 and weighted incidents per 1,000 students, covered aggravated assault, arson, burglary, forcible rape, larceny/theft, murder, robbery, and vehicle theft. For the year, Penn State Harrisburg had only 14 reported larcenies or thefts. The college had no incidents in the other categories.

“A key ingredient in our effort to deter campus crime is the initiative by our police officers to be highly visible and to form partnerships with faculty, staff, students, and visitors for the greater good of the college,” Stoehr said.

“The number one question we get from prospective students and parents is in regard to campus safety. It is a valid concern and our vigilance enables us to point to the safe living and learning environment here at Penn State Harrisburg.”