Posted 5:30 p.m. Dec. 13

By Rob Torte
U-WIRE Washington Bureau

A new campus crime Web site by the Department of Education details how many crimes are occurring on the nation’s college campuses.

The site located at http://ope.ed.gov/security/ gives campus-specific information. U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige said students would be able to search for schools specifically by name or location.

“In the weeks ahead, students and parents around the country will be making important decisions about post-secondary education,” Paige said in a press release. “The security and safety on and around our college campuses is one of several factors they will consider. This Web site is a powerful tool that will help families make that important decision, providing them with the latest safety records of our colleges and schools.”

Critics said the site fails to give a clear perspective of exactly which schools across the country have the best and worst crime records.

“This site does not reflect the number of prosecutions, arrests, or how many crimes reported actually happened,” Stephanie Babyak, an Education Department spokeswoman told U-WIRE. “The number simply shows alleged incidents.”

Schools are required to submit crime statistics to the Department of Education by law. This is the second year the numbers have been available publicly.