The 2025 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report from Roger Williams University (RWU), compiled in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act), provides detailed crime data covering the years 2022, 2023, and 2024.

An analysis of these statistics reveals several notable changes in reported crime incidents between 2023 and 2024. These statistics reflect crimes reported to RWU officials, campus security authorities, and law enforcement agencies having jurisdiction over property owned or leased by RWU, or adjacent public property.

The Bristol Campus, which includes the Main Campus, School of Law, Almeida Apartments, and Baypoint Residence Hall, experienced significant changes in reported crimes in several categories between 2023 and 2024.

Noteworthy Decreases and Fluctuations:

• Fondling incidents decreased by two, falling from 5 reports in 2023 to 3 reports in 2024. All fondling incidents reported in both years occurred on campus in residential facilities.
• Motor Vehicle Theft incidents saw a reduction, dropping from 2 incidents reported on campus in 2023 to 0 incidents in 2024.
• Liquor Law Violations – Disciplinary Referrals experienced a slight decline, falling from 205 referrals in 2023 to 201 referrals in 2024. All referrals in both years occurred in residential facilities.

For the Bristol Campus, several major crime categories remained constant at zero for both 2023 and 2024, including: Murder/Non-Negligent Manslaughter, Manslaughter by Negligence, Incest, Statutory Rape, Robbery, Aggravated Assault, Arson, Domestic Violence, Liquor Law Arrests, Drug Law Arrests, and Weapons Law Arrests.

Hate Crime statistics track criminal offenses where the victim was intentionally selected because of the perpetrator’s bias (actual or perceived race, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, national origin, or disability).

While there were no Clery reportable Hate Crimes recorded for either campus in 2023, one Clery reportable Hate Crime was reported in 2024 on the Bristol campus. This incident was classified as an act of vandalism due to the victim’s race and occurred in a residence hall.

If you’re on campus and have an emergency, your first instinct might be to dial 911 on your cellphone. However, doing so will connect you to an outside police agency, not directly to the university’s Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers who are already on campus. For the fastest possible on-campus response, the correct number to call is the DPS emergency line: (401) 254-3333.

The Department of Public Safety (DPS) isn’t an external police force. It’s a “service-oriented branch of Roger Williams University’s Student Life Division.” This means they are fundamentally part of the student support system, not just rule enforcers. The report clarifies that DPS officers are not sworn law enforcement and do not have arrest powers.

However, they do have specific authority on campus property. Here’s what the report says they can do:

• Detain persons for alleged misconduct.
• Search on-campus rooms and backpacks with reasonable suspicion or probable cause.
• Refuse admittance to campus.
• Ask individuals to leave for disorderly conduct or for violating laws or university policies.

So, what does this distinction mean for you in a real-world interaction? It means that while DPS can detain you and refer you to the student conduct process for violating campus policy, they cannot arrest you. Their role is focused on university policy and student safety, not criminal prosecution. Understanding this helps you know your rights and clarifies that your interactions with them are as a member of the university community, which is a fundamentally different dynamic than an interaction with municipal police.

One of the most important policies hidden in the report is the Medical Amnesty Policy. Its primary goal is to save lives by encouraging students to call for help in a medical emergency involving alcohol or drugs without the fear of getting in trouble for consumption or possession.

The policy is stated very clearly:

“If an individual seeks medical attention due to a medical emergency, the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution will not pursue disciplinary sanctions against the student for consumption or possession of alcohol or drugs.”

This policy applies to the person who needs help, the person who calls for help, and the person for whom help was sought. The university wants to remove any hesitation a student might have in a potentially life-threatening situation. It reinforces that your health and safety are the top priority. It’s important to note, however, that the policy does not protect students from consequences for other conduct violations that might have occurred, such as assault or property damage.

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