Kansas University patrol officer Todd Carpenter cruises around the residence halls on Daisy Hill during a morning patrol in this July 2008 file photo. KU Public Safety officers are aided in their patrols by security cameras placed throughout campus.

The number of crimes reported last year on Kansas University’s campus is up 9 percent.

The KU Public Safety Office released its 2008 crime statistics this week, revealing 723 incidents, about three-quarters of which were thefts, burglaries or criminal damage to property.

KU Police Capt. Schuyler Bailey said that, although unfortunate, it was not surprising to find some kind of increase following years of decreases.

It was only the second increase in the past 10 years. The last increase was reported in 2003, when the number of crimes rose to 862.

Bailey said the public safety office’s attempts to reduce property crimes start with educational efforts during student orientation.

“Theft of unattended property is always the No. 1 crime on a university campus,” Bailey said.

It’s important for students to take basic precautions, like locking their cars, not leaving items unattended and placing valuables in lockers while working out.

“It’s a little bit inconvenient, but it will be there when you get done with your workout,” Bailey said.

Bailey added that two men were accused of about 10 percent of the thefts in 2008. The men, who are not KU students, were arrested for allegedly taking items from Facilities Operations and the Ambler Student Recreation Center.

While property crimes rose, violent crimes — including rape, aggravated assaults and robberies — decreased. There were five such incidents reported in 2008, down from nine in 2007.