AMHERST - Crime statistics compiled by the University of Massachusetts indicate the campus in 2010 remained a safe place for students to live and study, employees to work and others to visit, said Police Chief Johnny Whitehead.

"I think that overall, given the size of the campus population, it's a safe campus," Whitehead said.

The statistics were recently released by the department as required under the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act.

Like most years, about 1,000 people were arrested or summoned to court, with approximately 100 being people placed into protective custody, Whitehead said.

The number of aggravated assaults nearly doubled, from eight in 2009 to 15 in 2010. Whitehead said some of these incidents were serious, with people being injured when they were kicked or punched, while others included thrown objects like television remote controls.

While every aggravated assault is a problem, when these incidents are compared to the more than 25,000 people who are on campus each day during the school year, they represent a small figure, Whitehead said.

The police department has 62 sworn officers who are assisted by about 250 security monitors and 15 to 30 police cadets. The security monitors are in dormitory lobbies from 8 p.m. to midnight weekdays and until 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, while the police cadets are trained to be the eyes and ears of the department throughout campus, Whitehead said.

A growing number of on-campus activities requires presence of police, with 10 to 12 officers at the Mullins Center for concerts, eight to 10 officers stationed at Curry Hicks Cage for dances and several officers at major sporting events. These all put pressure on the department.

"It can be a challenge to staff all events on campus, but I think we're holding our own," Whitehead said.

Property crime, he said, remains the largest concern, with 59 burglaries and five motor vehicle thefts in 2010. These nearly mirrored the previous year, when there were also 59 burglaries and four stolen motor vehicles.

Most burglaries occur in unsecured dormitory rooms, he said, which has prompted the continuing "Like It, Lock It, Keep It" educational campaign.

There was a 23 percent drop, from 483 to 371, in liquor law violations, primarily being minors in possession of alcohol.

The 1,588 students who were referred to the dean's office for counseling was an almost identical number to the 1,556 referred the previous years.

Whitehead said he is uncertain why the number of liquor law violation arrests declined, especially since UMass, along with Amherst police, have been cracking down on underage drinkers and those who consume alcohol on public ways.

"We haven't changed the tactics we use," Whitehead said. "We've been hitting alcohol violations pretty aggressively. We're still trying to prevent underage students from bringing alcohol into the residential halls."

There have been more efforts to educate students, especially during new student orientation, when both parents and freshmen learn about problems associated with alcohol, from an increase in injuries to sexual assaults. Reducing alcohol consumption, Whitehead said, can prevent more serious incidents from occurring.

Whitehead credits the residence assistants and residence directors with contacting police more immediately.

"Our RAs and RDs are doing a more effective job in the residential halls about not tolerating disruptive behavior," Whitehead said.

More than twice as many arrests for violations of the drug laws occurred in 2010. The 56 arrests last year, compared to the 27 in 2009, is likely the result of having more events at the Mullins Center, specifically the February 2010 concert by Furthur, made up of members of the Grateful Dead, and two Phish concerts in October 2010.

Reports of forcible sex offenses, which include rape, went from eight in 2009 to 12 in 2010.

After two years of budget cuts, the department has only lost one officer position, meaning it's providing almost the same level of service to the campus.

Whitehead said it remains difficult to compare the university's crime statistics to other similar institutions since UMass is one of the largest residential campuses, with 13,000 students living in dormitories.