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The New Mexico State University Police Department released its 2025 Annual Security and Fire Safety Reports for the Las Cruces and DACC campuses on Sept. 17. The report details the on-campus crime statistics for the years 2022-2024.
A total of 17 cases of sexual offences were recorded in the report. The report splits this category into rape, statutory rape, fondling, and incest. For rape, seven cases were reported in 2022, followed by two in 2023 and four in 2024. In 2022, two cases of fondling were reported in both 2022 and 2023, and none were reported in 2024. There were no reported cases of statutory rape or incest on campus from 2022-2024.
Another category on the report is VAWA crimes, named after the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 which tracks domestic and dating crimes, particularly against women. The NMSU Police Department divides this category into domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. In 2022, two cases of domestic violence were reported on campus. The report shows there were seven in 2023 and five in 2024. The report includes all cases of dating violence in the statistics for domestic violence. Six of the domestic violence cases occurred at residential facilities.
Due to cases related to sexual and domestic violence on campus, and as part of a $1 million settlement in July 2025, NMSU rolled out an online consent training course for the Fall 2025 semester, and its completion is now a requirement to enroll in classes for next semester.
Through the last three years, two robberies, seven aggravated assaults, 102 burglaries and 73 motor vehicle thefts were reported to the NMSU police.
One hate crime was reported in 2022, according to the report.
Seventy-two arrests and 307 referrals were made in the 2022-2024 period by the police department, related to carrying and possession of weapons, drug abuse violations, and liquor law violations.
According to the report, there were zero cases of murder, arson or manslaughter reported on campus in the 2022-2024 period.
The police department urged faculty, staff, and students to report crimes if they are a witness or victim.
“Please help us in deterring crime on our campus by promptly calling the Police Department at 575-646-3311 or 911 (in case of emergencies) to report suspicious activity, safety problems, or crimes,” the NMSU Police Department wrote. “The university Police Department does not accept anonymous reports and must disclose certain information to prosecutors and defense counsel (in accordance with state law). However, the university Police Department will take steps in sensitive cases to keep personal information confidential to the extent possible. This includes cases of sexual assault, as well as cases where there is a concern of possible retaliation.”
