The UW Oshkosh Police Department reported a decrease in overall campus crime numbers last year, according to the 2025 UWO Annual Security Report and Annual Fire Safety Report that was released to the public Sept. 29.
UWOPD Chief of Police Chris Tarmann said that he felt it was affirming to see the strategies the department put in place led to lower crime numbers.
“The report reinforces that UW Oshkosh is a safe campus and that our focus on visibility, relationships and proactive service is working,” Tarmann said.
The 128-page report, which mandates colleges and universities that receive federal financial aid to report crime statistics as part of the Clery Act of 1990, showed that UWOPD recorded 446 total law violations either on or off campus. This was down from 575 in 2023.
Aside from a decrease in off-campus violations, from 28 in 2023 to three in 2024, the largest drop in crime came from on-campus alcohol offenses, which dropped from 487 in 2023 to 396 in 2024. The other category to see a major decrease was on-campus rape, which fell from five on-campus cases in 2023 to two such instances in 2024.
Tarmann said that there were several factors that influenced the 2024 crime numbers.
“Our department has a strong focus on what I like to call relational policing; being visible, building relationships and staying engaged with students and staff,” he said. “We also maintain strong partnerships with campus and community organizations that provide services, which helps reduce vulnerability and support individuals before situations escalate into criminal activity.”
Tarmann said that there were other operational changes that impacted possible opportunities for crime.
“Fewer buildings are open after hours and overall campus activity is lower in certain areas,” Tarmann said. “Even with a smaller police staff, our team is highly intentional with our presence and deployment. Our number one strategic priority is to ‘protect our community,’ and we do that by being visible, responsive and proactive. When we stay focused on doing the right things consistently, we make a strong impact.”
Fondling was the only crime category to see a significant jump after it went from two cases in 2023 to six cases in 2024.
Tarmann said crimes like fondling can fluctuate from year to year based on the different situations and who is present in the community.
“Our focus is not only on responding to these incidents but on reducing opportunities for them to occur in the first place,” he said. “We analyze the circumstances around these cases so we can address vulnerabilities such as lighting, environment, visibility and community knowledge, then we make environmental adjustments to increase safety.”
Tarmann said that UWOPD works hard to build trust among the campus community.
“When people know that their report will be taken seriously and handled appropriately, they are more willing to come forward,” he said. “At the same time, we maintain visibility and strong presence so that individuals who might consider committing these offenses recognize that inappropriate behavior will be met with swift enforcement.”
According to Tarmann, UWOPD has put together new initiatives to address campus safety. This includes launching a bi-weekly safety blog that appears in the news feed on the department’s website, strengthening partnerships with event and conference services to make sure UWOPD is aware of major events and enhancing internal communication so that all staff have access to current information and can respond more efficiently to calls for service.
Tarmann said he encourages everyone on campus to reach out to police if something doesn’t look right.
“Campus safety is a shared effort,” Tarmann said. “Our team is here for you, and we want students to feel comfortable approaching us, whether it’s to report something concerning or simply to ask a question. The more connected we are with our community, the safer campus becomes.”
