What Crime Looks Like at Sul Ross
By: Viviana Sanchez, Skyline Desk-Chief
ALPINE- Despite small enrollment, Sul Ross reported higher crime rates in some areas than other, larger Texas universities in 2023. Even as Sul Ross crime logs show 25 reported cases in 2025, down from 44 in 2024 and the previous year.
The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, simply referred to as the Clery Act, “requires institutions of higher education to disclose campus security information and crimes on campus in the surrounding area.” SRSU’s own reported crime logs from 2023 and 2024 show a range of reported incidents from violations to possession of marijuana, criminal mischief, trespass warnings, and burglary.
“We have moved away from heavy-handed enforcement of minor offenses, utilizing a community-based approach where minor issues are often handled through University resources rather than criminal prosecution,” SRSU Police Chief George Rickey told the Skyline.
According to 2023 federal data from the Campus Safety and Security organization, which collects Clery Act data from across the county, Sul Ross State University reported higher numbers of burglaries when compared with colleges such as UTPB, Sam Houston State University, and West Texas A&M despite those schools having enrollments five to twenty times larger. SRSU also had more liquor law violations than both UTPB and Sam Houston. The data from 2023 shows two instances of rape at Sul Ross, also more than UTPB or West Texas A&M.
Criminal reports in 2024 and 2025 showed that criminal trespass and burglary were the most frequent type of incident, frequently in recurring locations such as Mountainside and Jackson Field. In 2024 there was a broader mix of incidences reported, including, assault, stalking, and an incident of sexual assault, all of which were referred to prosecutors. The 2023 crime log also contained instances of sexual assault and indecent exposure. There were no such reports of sexual assault in 2025.
“Reported crime at Sul Ross is fortunately very low. I assess this low crime rate as a direct result of our community policing shift and the historically safe nature of the Alpine and Brewster County community," wrote Rickey.
“My vision remains rooted in a singular goal: creating and maintaining a sanctuary for safe peaceful education,” Chief Rickey wrote. “My goal is for our officers to be seen as friendly, approachable, and helpful.”
With no 2026 incidents yet published online, students and families will have to wait to see if these lower crime rates are a trend. Any incident should be updated within 48 hours of a reportable incident, according to the UPD.