Jeanne Clery Act Background, Information, and Definitions
The Clery Act is a consumer protection law that aims to provide transparency concerning crime statistics for college campuses across the United States, as well as compassionate support to victims of campus crime. In order to provide transparency, universities must produce and maintain a 60-day log of all crimes and fires that occur on campus, as well as an annual safety and security report. Universities are also mandated to inform the campus community of any serious or continuing threats to students and employees that occur within Clery Geography. The campus community will be notified via the emergency notification system and/or timely notices.
Background
In 1986 Jeanne Clery was a freshman at Lehigh University. Over the previous 3 years, Lehigh University had 38 violent crimes take place on campus, however, current and prospective students and employees were not made aware of the incidents. One night a fellow student broke into Clery’s residence hall, where he raped and murdered her. It is the belief of Jeanne’s parents that if she had been made aware of the violent incidents on campus she would have been more cautious.
The Jeanne Clery Act was signed into law in 1990; it is a federal statute that requires higher education institutions to report crime statistics to current and prospective students and employees.
Information
The Clery Team is comprised of USM Public Safety, Title IX, and Campus Security Authorities (CSAs). CSAs are individuals on campus that have significant responsibility for students and campus activities, anyone who is responsible for campus security that is not a member of Public Safety, and anyone else the university has designated as someone to whom crimes should be reported. If you or someone you know has been a victim, or if you have witnessed a crime, there are different avenues you can take to report the incident to the university. The Reporting Resources page will provide you with links to the different ways to report, as well as descriptions of each.
Crime reporting for the Annual Report under the Clery Act consists of four categories, Violent Offenses, Hate Crimes, non-violent offenses that can either be arrests or referrals to community standards and VAWA (violence against women act) Crimes that happen within Clery Geography.
Crime Reporting
Violent Crimes:
- Murder and non-negligent manslaughter
- Manslaughter by negligence
- Robbery
- Aggravated Assault
- Burglary
- Motor Vehicle Theft
- Arson
- Sexual Assualt
- Rape
- Fondling
- Incest
- Statutory rape
Hate Crimes
- Any of the above-mentioned offenses and any incidents of larceny theft, simple assault, intimidation, or destruction/damage/vandalism of property were motivated by bias.
Non-violent Crimes for arrest or referral
- Liquor Law Violations
- Drug Violations
- Weapons Violations
VAWA
- Dating Violence
- Domestic Violence
- Stalking
Clery Geography:
On-Campus
- Any building or property owned or controlled by the institution and is being used to support the institution’s purpose or
- Any building or property that is reasonably contiguous- an area that by its location students consider it to be and treat it as part of the university.
On-Campus Student Housing Facility
- Any student housing facility that is owned or controlled by the institution or is located on property that is owned or controlled by the institution and within a reasonably contiguous area.
Public Property
- All public property, including thoroughfares, streets, sidewalks, and parking facilities, that is within the campus, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus.
Noncampus Buildings or Property
- Any building or property owned or controlled by a student organization that is officially recognized by the institution or
- Any building or property owned or controlled by an institution that is used in direct support of, or in relation to, the institution’s educational purposes, is frequently used by students but is not within a reasonably contiguous area.