Mercer publishes Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act data from 2024 –

Mercer University released data from the 2024 calendar year in its annual campus safety report on Wednesday, which includes statistics on crime and instances of fire on all four Mercer campuses in Georgia.

Mercer collects the information from MerPo, the Title IX office, Student Affairs, Human Resources, Housing and Residence Life, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and the Director of Environmental Health and Safety, and the university is required to publish the data each year under the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act.

During the first-year “Bear Beginnings” orientation and at other times throughout the year for all students, Mercer Police and other departments on campus address “definitions of misconduct, reporting options, bystander intervention and key campus resources.”

Among the offenses that the Clery Act requires Mercer to publish, sexual assault, stalking, and drugs and alcohol violations are some of the most frequently reported. The following information is pulled exclusively from incidents on Macon’s campus.

Sixteen cases of rape were reported on campus last year, including one that that was not in student housing. That total more than doubles the seven cases reported in 2023, and eclipses the 13 cases of rape reported in 2022. There were also two cases of fondling reported on campus, down from five in 2023.

The university has seen an uptick in reports of stalking on campus compared to years prior. In 2024, there were 15 cases of stalking were reported while in 2023, there were 12 reports and in 2022, there were eight. Five cases of dating violence were reported in 2024, up from one in the year prior.

One case of intimidation based on gender was reported in 2024 on campus, and that was the only report of a hate crime on campus in that year.

There were seven reports of vehicle theft on campus last year, which has been about par for the course in recent years. In 2023, there were six such reports, and in 2022, there were eight vehicle thefts. One arrest was made last year on campus. The arrest was made in connection to a campus-wide alert that was sent out on Oct. 31, 2024. Gary Mills, who was then the Mercer police chief, told The Mercer Cluster that a “domestic dispute” sparked the arrest.

2024 also saw a continued trend of fewer reported cases of liquor law violations, with 25 reports made, all of which were in residence halls. Since 2020, there has been an 81 percent decrease in liquor law violations after the total in 2020 spiked at 132 across campus. Drug abuse violations, according to the report, have also dropped precipitously. From 2021 to 2023, there were about 20 such violations a year, never dropping lower than 19. In 2024, Mercer reported one drug abuse violation.

According to the report, hazing statistics will be recorded and reported starting with the 2025 calendar year report, which will be published in October 2026. Students who have information about crime on campus are encouraged to contact MerPo at (478) 301-4357. Students may call to set up an appointment with CAPS at (478) 301-2862, or visit their website.