Campus Security Report Shows CSU Stanislaus Remains a Safe Environment for Students; New Law Requires Additional Reporting of Sexual Assaults and Encouragement of Victims and Bystanders to Report Incidents
October 1, 2014- By Tim Lynch (tlynch@csustan.edu) - California State University, Stanislaus remains a safe campus by most any measure, as evidenced by statistics released today by the University Police Department.
The annual report, required of U.S. colleges and universities by the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, shows a total of 15 crimes against persons or property reported to University police in 2013, up from nine in 2012 and down from 24 in 2011. In addition, the report shows three arrests for liquor law or drug violations — down from seven in 2012 and 22 in 2011 — and 113 liquor or drug referrals resulting in University disciplinary action, compared with 115 in 2012 and 87 in 2011.
“We believe CSU Stanislaus provides a safe, healthy environment for our students to learn, grow and thrive,” President Joseph F. Sheley said. “No university will ever be 100 percent crime-free, but our students, faculty and staff look out for one another, which unquestionably contributes to the safety of our campus.”
The annual Campus Security Report includes statistics for the past three years, covering incidents on campus, in off-campus buildings owned or controlled by the University, and on public property within, adjacent to or accessible from the campus. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security, alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault and fire-related statistics.
“As a police department, our goal is to be a partner with the University in the prevention and awareness of criminal activity,” Lieutenant Andy Roy said. “We are able to do this through support from our administration and strong relationships with student organizations.”
The Clery Act, signed in 1990, requires higher education institutions to comply with certain campus safety- and security-related requirements as a condition of participating in federal student financial aid programs. The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (VAWA) — signed by President Obama in 2013 — amended the Clery Act to require institutions to compile additional statistics and include certain policies, procedures and programs pertaining to domestic violence, dating violence, stalking and sexual assault in their campus security reports. The CSU is taking system-wide steps to ensure compliance with the new laws and to increase safety on its 23 campuses.
Additionally, the Safe Campus Committee at CSU Stanislaus is engaged in a number of efforts designed to create a culture of active bystander participation, increase awareness of the many forms of sexual violence experienced by students, and coordinate training initiatives to ensure students are educated, informed and prepared. The student-led Warrior Watch effort, for example, aims to create a culture in which students are encouraged to intervene when they observe a potentially dangerous situation and to report sexual assaults and related crimes.
If those efforts are successful, the result could be an increase in the number of such crimes reported in future years. That would be understandable, according to campus compliance officer Julie Johnson.
“If we see an increase in the numbers of reported assaults, we’ll know we are reaching our students,” Johnson said. “Every reported assault represents someone who’s gotten the support and resources they need.”
The CSU Stanislaus Campus Security Report is available on the University website. To request a printed copy, call (209) 667-3114 or email Public_Safety@csustan.edu. Campus Security Reports from other locations can be found at ope.ed.gov/security.
