Liquor law violations on the University of Missouri campus increased by more than 100 percent from 2008 to 2009, according to the Clery Report, a crime report all universities are required to compile. No one can, or will, say why there was such a dramatic increase.
Individual records may shed light where individual interviews haven't. The Columbia Missourian, a 501c3 not-for-profit newspaper, has been negotiating with the University of Missouri System for more than two months to receive these records, which may reveal some trends in date, location, class, or gender. Most of the crimes, we believe, were committed in the dormitories, for instance.
Although we're still negotiating, the most recent estimate from the university has been $150 to produce the information.
The Missourian has a limited budget, and can't afford more than $50.
