The report, required of U.S. colleges and universities by the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, shows significant decreases in several areas, most notably in the incidence of liquor law violations and sexual assaults.
Thanks to education and information programs designed to address these specific issues, especially as they occur in on-campus housing, liquor law violations fell from 91 violations in 2014 to 27 in 2015, while the number of sexual assaults fell from seven to four.
“The education program is out there on campus and it’s working,” said Andy Roy, Stan State chief of police and director of public safety. “We still had four instances of sexual assault, and four incidences are too many, and we know the problem is still out there. We want to see zero, but we want that number to be accurate, and that’s where the reporting and educational programs come in.”
The annual 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.
“Stanislaus State takes our investment in providing a safe and healthy environment for our entire campus community very seriously, and this latest data underscores the success of our efforts,” said President Ellen Junn. “We strive to be as crime-free as possible and we are a safe campus. We are focused on making sure that students, faculty and staff are all constantly looking out for each other and receiving regular training that will help make our campus safer.”
The remarkable drop in liquor law violations can be traced directly to programs put in place in campus housing and supported by the University Police Department.
“Housing has taken student education to the next level, and we’re already noticing this semester that we’re responding to even fewer alcohol-related referrals,” Roy said. “The programs in place are bringing students together for activities, which keeps them from having to look for other methods of having fun, and that’s where alcohol sometimes can come into play.”
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 laws and to increase safety on its 23 campuses.
The Stan State Annual Campus Security Report is available HERE. 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.