Clery Act presentation educates students on campus safety reporting

Matthew Adams Managing Editor

On every college campus there will be incidents of crime prompting most college students and their loved ones to want to stay informed about campus safety. The Jackson State University Department of Public Safety presented a program to help educate students on what the Clery Act is and what it can do for the university.

The Clery Act was started as a result of freshman Jeanne Clery, a student at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Penn., who was raped and murdered in 1986. The crime was not reported to the university so this led many universities to question the activity on their own campuses.

With unreported crimes on college campuses coming to light, more and more universities would begin to rally for a change leading to a bill being passed in 1990 by Congress that would be named the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act.

Tonisha Thomas, Clery Act Compliance Officer for JSU Public

Safety said, “The Clery Act helps Jackson State as a campus get more involved in campus safety, personal safety, and crime reporting. A more robust Clery Act program is underway and there is so much more to come.”

The act requires integrity and honesty from universities. The act would also require universities that receive federal funding to disseminate an annual report, that would include the three preceding calendar years of crime.

The bill was able to categorize the different types of crimes that can potentially occur on the typical college campus.

These categories include: hate crimes, criminal offenses, VAWA (Violence Against Women Act) offenses, and arrests and referrals for disciplinary action.

They all have several crimes that encompass the categories that include some common crimes such as rape, burglary, aggravated assault, and a myriad of other crimes that can potentially occur on campus.

Even though the Clery Act is directed more toward college campuses, this act does not exclude the surrounding geographical areas of the campus.

According to the Clery Act website, the institution must include the crime statistics that occur on non-campus buildings and property owned or controlled by the organization that is used for educational purposes and frequently used by students but not a part of the core campus, or those owned or controlled by a student organization officially recognized by the institution.

This would help students not just be cautious on campus but to be cautious in non-campus settings. If students are victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking they are provided special rights and resources that can help them navigate through their emotions. These resources include prevention education, disciplinary proceedings, and a written explanation of student and employee rights.

Some Jackson State students had similar opinions on the effectiveness of the Clery Act.

Lauren Temple, a junior biology/ pre-medicine major from Slidell, La., feels the Clery Act can improve campus safety.

“Students would be encouraged to report incidents if there is public information on safety, policies, and procedures for all students and those who come to JSU,” said Temple.

Chyna Jordan, a junior business administration major from Chicago, Ill. stated, “Admissions to the university don’t require a background check which leaves the door open for individuals to be dishonest about their past, which can lead to preventable situations.”

Jordan further explained by saying, “Allowing campuses to report certain crimes and acts to the local police department could help prevent future incidents from occurring on campus.”

Timely warnings and emergency notifications are other measures the act has enacted to help further the protection of students.

Universities are obligated to evaluate and report if a crime is ongoing or a serious threat to the community. If this is found to be the case, a timely warning is issued to all staff and students.

An emergency notification is issued if there is an immediate or significant danger to the health or safety campus community, according to the website. The notification can include a limited area or the entire campus.

With the Clery Act in place, people can learn about the area they are living in and learn to be more cautious.