As part of the federal Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (20 USC § 1092(f)), otherwise known as the Clery Act, qualifying incidents reported to university police from various sources, including Campus Security Authorities (CSA), are required to be annually published and made available to the campus community.
The law is named for Jeanne Clery, a 19-year-old Lehigh University freshman who was raped and murdered by another student, Joseph Henry, in her campus residence hall in 1986. The Clery Act, signed in 1990, was originally known as the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act and was enacted in the belief that crime awareness can prevent campus victimization.
The Clery Act requires all colleges and universities that participate in federal financial aid programs to keep and disclose information about crime on and near their respective campuses. Compliance is monitored by the Department of Education which can impose civil penalties against institutions for each infraction and can suspend institutions from participating in federal student financial aid programs.
One purpose of the Clery Act is to encourage the reporting and collection of accurate campus crime statistics to promote crime awareness and enhance campus safety. Each university designates Campus Security Authorities (CSA) which serve as a conduit for recording and reporting crimes taking place on or near school property.
Crime Log
The crime log includes crimes that have occurred in a 24-hour period beginning at 7:00 a.m. on the day reported to 7:00 a.m. the following day.
The crime log discloses incidences occurring on UTSI owned or controlled property, streets immediately contiguous to UTSI property, as well as the expanded patrol jurisdiction of UTSI and other local agencies.
Annual Security and Fire Safety Report
Crime Statistics
The law defines Campus Security Authority as: “An official of an institution who has significant responsibility for student and campus activities, including, but not limited to, student housing, student discipline, and campus judicial proceedings.”
The CSA’s for UTSI for reporting crimes or any suspected crimes on campus are as follows:
- The Safety & Security Office
- The Human Resources Office
- Student Affairs Personnel
- The UTSI SGA
- Dorm RA
- UTSI Faculty Professors & Associate Professors
After Hours and Weekend Security staff are also CSAs for UTSI and are available for reporting crimes or suspected crimes on campus.
Under the Clery Act, CSA’s are obligated to report Clery Act qualifying crimes which occurred on campus, in public areas bordering campus and in certain non-campus buildings owned or controlled (leased) by the university. The intent of including non-law enforcement personnel in the CSA role is to acknowledge that some community members and students may be more inclined to report incidents to other campus-affiliated individuals instead of the police.
What offenses do I need to report? The criminal offenses for which you are required to disclose statistics are murder/non-negligent manslaughter, negligent manslaughter, sex offenses (forcible and non-forcible), robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, motor vehicle theft, arson, liquor law violations, drug abuse violations, and weapons violations (including carrying and possessing). You also are required to report statistics for bias-related (hate) crimes for the following offenses: murder/non-negligent manslaughter, sex offenses (forcible and non-forcible), robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, motor vehicle theft, arson, larceny-theft, vandalism, intimidation, simple assault, and damage/destruction/vandalism of property. These incidents should be reported on a Campus Security Authority Incident Report Form
To qualify as reportable, a Clery Act crime must have occurred in one of the following locations:
On-campus property: Any building or property owned or controlled by the university within the same reasonable contiguous geographic area and used by the university in direct support of, or in a manner related to, the university’s educational purpose, including buildings or property the location described herein that is owned by the university but controlled by another person and which is frequently used by students. This includes on campus residents area.
Non-campus property: Any non-campus property or building owned or controlled (leased) by the university that is frequently used by students and is not within the same reasonable contiguous geographic area of the institution. This includes facilities at the Tullahoma Airport.
Public Property: Any public property located immediately adjacent to, and accessible from campus, including public garages, thoroughfares, sidewalks, streets, lands, parks, and beaches.
A CSA is not responsible for determining authoritatively whether a crime took place—that is the function of law enforcement personnel. A CSA should not try to apprehend the alleged perpetrator of the crime. That too is the responsibility of law enforcement. It is also not a CSA’s responsibility to try and convince a victim to contact law enforcement if the victim chooses not to do so.
Statistics are compiled by UTSI Security. Data is collected from Human Resources, UT Campus Security Authorities, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, and other applicable law enforcement agencies for incidents that occurred on UT-owned or controlled properties. This information is published in the university’s Annual Security Report.
You cannot keep an incident report confidential, even if the person who reported the incident to you requested that you keep the report confidential.
If you are in doubt about whether you should report an incident, report it! For more information, contact the UTSI Safety Office or a CSA.