Annual Public Safety security report reveals increase in drug abuse violations

Point Loma Nazarene University’s Department of Public Safety’s recent annual security report revealed a concerning spike in disciplinary referrals for drug abuse violations on campus that were reported to the police. 

Released on Oct. 1, it showed one reported incident in 2023 when there were 4,494 students, and 16 reported incidents in 2024 when there were 4,765 students on PLNU’s main campus. During this time, the student body increased by 271 students from 2023-24.

Kaz Trypuc, assistant director of Public Safety, said the increase is worth noting, but it is difficult to determine if it’s a trend.

“I don’t really know what to make of it,” Trypuc said. “You need a longer-term observation to see if it is a trend; it is hard to know what is going on behind the numbers.”

The numbers in the drug abuse violation category only include the reported incidents of marijuana and other controlled substance use on campus that broke the PLNU Community Living Agreement, which is signed upon application for admission, and states that students will abstain from use of illegal drugs and tobacco in any form. 

Aidan DeMarco, a fourth-year education major and residential assistant (RA) for three years, worked in Nease Hall last year.

“Honestly, it was probably just chance,” DeMarco said. “I experienced a lot more consolidated incidents that happened to get caught.”

While both Trypuc and DeMarco said that the increase might have resulted from a difference in RA monitoring, there was no specific policy change that would have led to the higher number.

Jenna Wilcox, a third-year education major, said that she didn’t notice an increase in drug use among her peers.

“If anything, it seems like the substance use that I heard about went down,” Wilcox said. “But maybe it has to do with the circles I am in.”

Maya Turnbull, a third-year psychology major, said she was surprised by the increase in referrals in 2024, but even more so by the lack of reports in 2023.

“I definitely know about more than just one incident that occurred during my freshman year,” Turnbull said.

Trypuc said that this report doesn’t necessarily represent the entirety of campus behavior, just what was reported.

“By no means are we under the impression that this is a reflection that shows the totality of student conduct,” Trypuc said. “But it is also really only a handful of students in regard to the thousands who attend PLNU.”