Reports of rape on the University of Kansas’ Lawrence campus fell in 2023, but allegations of stalking rose sharply and hit a new three-year high, according to a new campus security report.

KU officials on the Lawrence campus — anybody from police officers to counselors — received seven reports that alleged a rape took place on the KU campus. Officials received four additional reports of rape that were alleged to have occurred on property that is not officially part of the KU campus but has strong connections to it, such as houses or buildings controlled by student organizations that are officially recognized by KU.

The latest numbers are from an annual safety report that all universities in the country are mandated to produce by Oct. 1 of each year. The report, which is mandated by the federal law known as the Clery Act, tracks reports made by students and others on campus, regardless of whether police are called to investigate the allegations or whether criminal charges are ever filed.

The statistics on rape reports on the KU campus were down sharply in 2023 compared to 2022 totals. In 2022, KU posted one of its highest rape report numbers in memory with 28 reports being recorded, all of them taking place in KU residence halls. As the Journal-World inquired about the high number last year, KU officials provided additional information, saying that one complainant reported that an individual raped them on 15 separate dates, which each resulted in a separate report.

In 2023, the on-campus number of reports fell to seven, all of which occurred in KU residence halls. The seven on-campus reports were lower than both the 2022 totals and the 2021 total of 11 reports.

The four reports of rape on off-campus properties was higher than the two reports a year earlier, but lower than eight reports in 2021. The security report does not provide additional details about where those rapes are alleged to have occurred. Off-campus properties can include fraternity and sorority houses, but they also can include student religious organizations or other student clubs that rent space off campus, among others.

KU, which is the largest university in the state, had slightly more rape complaints than Kansas State, and significantly more than Wichita State. KSU and WSU are the next two largest universities in Kansas. KSU had a total of 10 rape reports, with all but one registered on campus. WSU had three reports, all on campus. For comparison purposes, KU in 2023 had about 22,000 students, — not counting the KU Medical Center, which produces a separate safety report — while KSU had about 16,000 and WSU about 12,000.

The report did find areas where reports increased at KU, and none more sharply than in the category of stalking. KU registered 35 complaints in 2023, up from 23 complaints a year earlier, and up from 12 in 2021. KU said that 20 of the stalking reports came from the campus residence halls.

KU had significantly more stalking complaints than Kansas State or Wichita State. Both of those schools recorded 12 stalking complaints for the year.

Motor vehicle thefts also rose sharply last year. There were 20 reports of on-campus vehicle thefts, up from 12 a year earlier and 15 in 2021. KU also reported an additional eight vehicle thefts that allegedly occurred at off-campus locations.

Other numbers of note for the KU campus include:

• Fondling: 3 reports in 2023; 7 in 2022; 5 in 2021;

• Robbery: 1 report, unchanged from the past two years.

• Aggravated assault: 5 reports in 2023; 3 in 2022; 7 in 2021.

• Burglary: 9 reports in 2023; 8 in 2022; 12 in 2021.

• Arson: 3 reports in 2023; 0 in 2022; 1 in 2021.

• Liquor law arrests: 2 in 2023; 18 in 2022; 9 in 2021

• Liquor law violations that resulted in a ticket or other referral: 162 in 2023; 276 in 2022; 441 in 2021.

• Drug law arrests: 4 in 2023; 12 in 2022; 18 in 2021.

• Drug law violations that resulted in a ticket or other referral: 40 in 2023; 97 in 2022; 92 in 2021.