Security On Campus, Inc.'s Notes
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January 6, 2010
The Honorable Arlen Specter, Chairman
Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs
U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary
224 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Re: Center to Advance, Monitor, and Preserve University Security Safety Act (H.R. 748)
Dear Chairman Specter:
Who would have imagined, but later this year we will mark the 20th anniversary of the passage of the original Campus Security Act - now known as the Jeanne Clery Act, in honor of my beloved daughter. Thanks to your continued leadership in stewarding this legislation, campus safety is profoundly better. Yet, important work still remains ahead as we assist institutions in facing the campus safety challenges of the 21st Century.
A national summit convened by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (the COPS Office) in 2004 recommended the creation of a National Center for Campus Public Safety. The Center, to be created by the COPS Office, would provide critical research and training. Following the tragic shootings at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University in 2007, legislation was formally introduced to establish the Center. After passing the House in 2009, H.R. 748 is currently pending before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The creation of the Center will help to best leverage the application of limited federal resources to protect our nation’s most precious resource, out future leaders. We respectfully request that it have your full support and that you please consider sponsoring a Senate version of this bill. As Chair of the Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs, with jurisdiction over the COPS Office, may we suggest consideration of convening a hearing early this year on H.R. 748. Thank you in advance.
We stand ready to do everything we can to help you in this effort.
Sincerely,
Constance B. Clery, Co-Founder
The Honorable Arlen Specter, Chairman
Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs
U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary
224 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Re: Center to Advance, Monitor, and Preserve University Security Safety Act (H.R. 748)
Dear Chairman Specter:
Who would have imagined, but later this year we will mark the 20th anniversary of the passage of the original Campus Security Act - now known as the Jeanne Clery Act, in honor of my beloved daughter. Thanks to your continued leadership in stewarding this legislation, campus safety is profoundly better. Yet, important work still remains ahead as we assist institutions in facing the campus safety challenges of the 21st Century.
A national summit convened by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (the COPS Office) in 2004 recommended the creation of a National Center for Campus Public Safety. The Center, to be created by the COPS Office, would provide critical research and training. Following the tragic shootings at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University in 2007, legislation was formally introduced to establish the Center. After passing the House in 2009, H.R. 748 is currently pending before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The creation of the Center will help to best leverage the application of limited federal resources to protect our nation’s most precious resource, out future leaders. We respectfully request that it have your full support and that you please consider sponsoring a Senate version of this bill. As Chair of the Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs, with jurisdiction over the COPS Office, may we suggest consideration of convening a hearing early this year on H.R. 748. Thank you in advance.
We stand ready to do everything we can to help you in this effort.
Sincerely,
Constance B. Clery, Co-Founder
New federal regulations dealing with campus emergencies, fire safety, hate crimes and missing students were published this morning by the U.S. Department of Education. The new rules take effect in 2010 and implement laws enacted in 2008 including amendments to the Jeanne Clery Act adopted in the wake of the shootings at Virginia Tech and other campuses.
The rules, which were published along with other guidelines dealing with federal student aid programs, can be read in either text or PDF formats by clicking here. Security On Campus will provide analysis and additional information about these new regulations in the coming week.
The rules, which were published along with other guidelines dealing with federal student aid programs, can be read in either text or PDF formats by clicking here. Security On Campus will provide analysis and additional information about these new regulations in the coming week.
Virginia State Police and University of Virginia Police have received so many calls and leads about the disappearance of Morgan D. Harrington that they have established a new tip line for the public to call.
The number is 434-352-3467.
Lt. Joe A. Rader of the State Police said every call is being prioritized and followed up. "Since Monday, we have had 100-plus calls," he said today at a press conference.
Harrington has been missing since Oct. 17, when she came to Charlottesville with friends to attend the Metallica concert at John Paul Jones Arena. She's a 20-year-old junior majoring in education at Virginia Tech. Harrington and her parents, Dan and Gil Harrington, live in Roanoke County.
Rader said that the family will establish a reward of at least $50,000 through Crimestoppers for information that leads to their daughter's return.
Virginia State Police and U.Va. Police, working closely with police agencies from Charlottesville, Albemarle County, Virginia Tech and many surrounding jurisdictions, have been investigating leads since Monday. Several ground searches have been conducted of the area around the arena and athletic fields. Harrington's purse and cell phone were found near the arena by a passerby on Sunday morning.
Rader said the police now consider this a criminal investigation. He added, however, "We have no real information that criminal misconduct has occurred."
On Saturday, Harrington and a friend picked up another friend at James Madison University and then traveled to Charlottesville. Harrington was not the driver.
She became separated from her friends when she went searching for a restroom around 8:30 p.m. and ended up outside the arena. It's the policy at all arena events that patrons aren't permitted to re-enter. Harrington contacted her friends around 8:40 p.m. to let them know she was outside and that she might find another way to get home.
"Her friends were aware they may not meet up with her after the concert," Rader said. "There was no immediate need for concern."
Rader said witnesses confirmed that Harrington was in the area of the arena until at least 9:30 p.m. A review of surveillance tapes wasn't helpful, he said.
Police will be expanding their search beyond U.Va. Corinne Geller, the state police public information officer, thanked the media and everyone who has spread the word about the case through social media and encouraged the public to continue to come forward with information.
The number is 434-352-3467.
Lt. Joe A. Rader of the State Police said every call is being prioritized and followed up. "Since Monday, we have had 100-plus calls," he said today at a press conference.
Harrington has been missing since Oct. 17, when she came to Charlottesville with friends to attend the Metallica concert at John Paul Jones Arena. She's a 20-year-old junior majoring in education at Virginia Tech. Harrington and her parents, Dan and Gil Harrington, live in Roanoke County.
Rader said that the family will establish a reward of at least $50,000 through Crimestoppers for information that leads to their daughter's return.
Virginia State Police and U.Va. Police, working closely with police agencies from Charlottesville, Albemarle County, Virginia Tech and many surrounding jurisdictions, have been investigating leads since Monday. Several ground searches have been conducted of the area around the arena and athletic fields. Harrington's purse and cell phone were found near the arena by a passerby on Sunday morning.
Rader said the police now consider this a criminal investigation. He added, however, "We have no real information that criminal misconduct has occurred."
On Saturday, Harrington and a friend picked up another friend at James Madison University and then traveled to Charlottesville. Harrington was not the driver.
She became separated from her friends when she went searching for a restroom around 8:30 p.m. and ended up outside the arena. It's the policy at all arena events that patrons aren't permitted to re-enter. Harrington contacted her friends around 8:40 p.m. to let them know she was outside and that she might find another way to get home.
"Her friends were aware they may not meet up with her after the concert," Rader said. "There was no immediate need for concern."
Rader said witnesses confirmed that Harrington was in the area of the arena until at least 9:30 p.m. A review of surveillance tapes wasn't helpful, he said.
Police will be expanding their search beyond U.Va. Corinne Geller, the state police public information officer, thanked the media and everyone who has spread the word about the case through social media and encouraged the public to continue to come forward with information.
Morgan Dana Harrington
The Virginia State Police and University of Virginia Police ask that anyone who saw Morgan Harrington or someone matching her description any time after Saturday evening to contact them immediately.
The contact number for the state police is 434-352-3435, and the e-mail address is bci-appomattox@vsp.virgini
Harrington, a 20-year-old Virginia Tech junior from Roanoke County, came to U.Va. Saturday for the Metallica concert at the John Paul Jones Arena. She and a friend met another friend at James Madison University and they traveled to Charlottesville. She became separated from her friends around 8:40 p.m. Saturday.
Harrington's father, Dr. Daniel P. Harrington, notified police Sunday afternoon that his daughter hadn't come home as expected. Harrington is associate dean of Roanoke programs for the U.Va. School of Medicine.
Morgan Dana Harrington was last seen wearing black T-shirt with "Pantera" written on the front in tan letters. She also had on a black mini-skirt with black tights and knee-high, black boots.
At a press conference Monday afternoon, Lt. Joe A. Rader of the Virginia State Police said the investigation into Harrington's disappearance is being handled as a missing person case. He said thorough searches are being made of the area around the arena by helicopter and K9 units.
"We encourage her friends: You know her habits. Please take an interest in this case," he said.
Fighting tears, Dan and Gil Harrington said at the press conference that the lack of communication is not like their daughter. "If Morgan is out there and can hear this, please come home," Dan Harrington said.
The contact number for the state police is 434-352-3435, and the e-mail address is bci-appomattox@vsp.virgini
Harrington, a 20-year-old Virginia Tech junior from Roanoke County, came to U.Va. Saturday for the Metallica concert at the John Paul Jones Arena. She and a friend met another friend at James Madison University and they traveled to Charlottesville. She became separated from her friends around 8:40 p.m. Saturday.
Harrington's father, Dr. Daniel P. Harrington, notified police Sunday afternoon that his daughter hadn't come home as expected. Harrington is associate dean of Roanoke programs for the U.Va. School of Medicine.
Morgan Dana Harrington was last seen wearing black T-shirt with "Pantera" written on the front in tan letters. She also had on a black mini-skirt with black tights and knee-high, black boots.
At a press conference Monday afternoon, Lt. Joe A. Rader of the Virginia State Police said the investigation into Harrington's disappearance is being handled as a missing person case. He said thorough searches are being made of the area around the arena by helicopter and K9 units.
"We encourage her friends: You know her habits. Please take an interest in this case," he said.
Fighting tears, Dan and Gil Harrington said at the press conference that the lack of communication is not like their daughter. "If Morgan is out there and can hear this, please come home," Dan Harrington said.
King of Prussia, PA-Security On Campus, Inc. (SOC), the only national non-profit devoted exclusively to preventing crime on college campuses, is reminding both prospective and current college students that this is the week colleges across the country will be disclosing their latest crime statistics and other campus security information. Under the federal Jeanne Clery Act, a law SOC spearheaded passage of in 1990, colleges must release an Annual Security Report (ASR) with campus crime statistics and a summary of campus security procedures by each October 1st.
"This information empowers students and their families to make informed decisions about where they plan to go to college and how to protect themselves once they are on campus," said Connie Clery, who co-founded SOC with her late husband, Howard, after their daughter Jeanne was murdered in her college residence hall in 1986. "Tragically, we didn't have this information when we were looking at schools with Jeanne. Her legacy has become protecting countless millions of students who now are entitled to know how safe they are on campus."
The Act, formally the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (20 USC 1092(f)), applies to more than 6,000 public and private institutions of postsecondary education that participate in federal student aid programs.
Under the Act institutions must disclose the three most recent years worth of crime statistics for each campus as well as public areas such as streets and sidewalks near the campus and student organization housing and remote classrooms. They must also disclose information concerning things like the security of and access to campus facilities, whether campus security personnel are police or unsworn security, and rights for victims in sexual assault cases.
"The Clery Act information provides students and families with an important starting point for evaluating campus safety," added Jonathan Kassa, SOC's Executive Director. "While differences in campus environments make a strict ranking system difficult, these disclosures make it possible to have a side-by-side comparison of the level of security provided by different institutions and to ask informed questions."
Many institutions make their complete ASR available on their websites according to SOC. Crime statistics for each institution can be accessed via SOC's website at http://www.securityoncampu
"This information empowers students and their families to make informed decisions about where they plan to go to college and how to protect themselves once they are on campus," said Connie Clery, who co-founded SOC with her late husband, Howard, after their daughter Jeanne was murdered in her college residence hall in 1986. "Tragically, we didn't have this information when we were looking at schools with Jeanne. Her legacy has become protecting countless millions of students who now are entitled to know how safe they are on campus."
The Act, formally the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (20 USC 1092(f)), applies to more than 6,000 public and private institutions of postsecondary education that participate in federal student aid programs.
Under the Act institutions must disclose the three most recent years worth of crime statistics for each campus as well as public areas such as streets and sidewalks near the campus and student organization housing and remote classrooms. They must also disclose information concerning things like the security of and access to campus facilities, whether campus security personnel are police or unsworn security, and rights for victims in sexual assault cases.
"The Clery Act information provides students and families with an important starting point for evaluating campus safety," added Jonathan Kassa, SOC's Executive Director. "While differences in campus environments make a strict ranking system difficult, these disclosures make it possible to have a side-by-side comparison of the level of security provided by different institutions and to ask informed questions."
Many institutions make their complete ASR available on their websites according to SOC. Crime statistics for each institution can be accessed via SOC's website at http://www.securityoncampu
EARLY BIRD RATES SOON TO EXPIRE!
Register now for Security On Campus, Inc.'s final Jeanne Clery Act Training seminar of 2009 to be held October 26-27th in Los Angeles, California on the campus of the University of Southern California.
For the first-ever training session in central California, the program has been updated to include the latest changes to the Clery Act - including emergency response, expanded hate crime reporting, and missing students. All participants will also receive a Clery Act Count, Collect, and Classify Reference Guide.
Register now for Security On Campus, Inc.'s final Jeanne Clery Act Training seminar of 2009 to be held October 26-27th in Los Angeles, California on the campus of the University of Southern California.
For the first-ever training session in central California, the program has been updated to include the latest changes to the Clery Act - including emergency response, expanded hate crime reporting, and missing students. All participants will also receive a Clery Act Count, Collect, and Classify Reference Guide.
Space is limited! Seats are filled on a first come, first served basis. This past August's East Coast event at Fairfield University had over 160 professionals attend from across the country. Group discounts apply for institutions that register 3 or more participants. CLICK http://tinyurl.com/me4t9h FOR MORE INFORMATION.
This first of its kind, comprehensive training features multiple faculty experts and has certified nearly 2,000 participants from all 50 states in two short years. Our day-and-a-half Clery Act Training Seminar was originally developed by SOC, the non-profit organization co-founded by Jeanne Clery's parents Connie & Howard, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice's Office for Victims of Crime and the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators.
Also, for the first time at a Clery Act Training Seminar a day long pre-conference session "Staff, This is a LOCKDOWN" will be offered by Crisis Reality Training. The program will be taught by Jesus Villahermosa, Jr., a 28 year veteran SWAT team member and former university campus safety director. CLICK http://www.crisisrealitytr
Finally, don't forget to reserve your room at the Radisson at USC. SOC has secured the special rate of $129 per night for training participants. Please call 1-866-201-4747 or visit http://www.radisson.com/se
This first of its kind, comprehensive training features multiple faculty experts and has certified nearly 2,000 participants from all 50 states in two short years. Our day-and-a-half Clery Act Training Seminar was originally developed by SOC, the non-profit organization co-founded by Jeanne Clery's parents Connie & Howard, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice's Office for Victims of Crime and the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators.
Also, for the first time at a Clery Act Training Seminar a day long pre-conference session "Staff, This is a LOCKDOWN" will be offered by Crisis Reality Training. The program will be taught by Jesus Villahermosa, Jr., a 28 year veteran SWAT team member and former university campus safety director. CLICK http://www.crisisrealitytr
Finally, don't forget to reserve your room at the Radisson at USC. SOC has secured the special rate of $129 per night for training participants. Please call 1-866-201-4747 or visit http://www.radisson.com/se
On September 9, 2009, at 2 p.m. (eastern time), the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) will present a Web Forum discussion with Alison Kiss, M.S., on best practices for providing campus crime awareness. Ms. Kiss is the Director of Programs at Security On Campus, Inc. (SOC), in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she provides support to victims of college campus crime and oversees all SOC programs, including National Campus Safety Awareness Month and the Safe On Campus Peer Education Program. She is a faculty member with the Jeanne Clery Act Compliance Training Program, where she teaches the Victim Support Services Module, and has presented internationally on trauma, crisis response, and issues specific to sexual assault on college campuses. She also has served as an expert witness for court proceedings on sexual assault on college campuses.
Visit the OVC Web Forum now at http://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ovcpr
OVC’s Web Forum allows participants to tap into a national network of people with various backgrounds who all face similar challenges and experiences. It is the perfect place for crime victim service providers and allied professionals to gain peer insight and support related to best practices in victim services. Please be reminded that the Web Forum is a public domain and personal or case information should not be shared.
Make connections. Share ideas. Change lives. Visit the OVC Web Forum today at http://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ovcpr
Visit the OVC Web Forum now at http://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ovcpr
OVC’s Web Forum allows participants to tap into a national network of people with various backgrounds who all face similar challenges and experiences. It is the perfect place for crime victim service providers and allied professionals to gain peer insight and support related to best practices in victim services. Please be reminded that the Web Forum is a public domain and personal or case information should not be shared.
Make connections. Share ideas. Change lives. Visit the OVC Web Forum today at http://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ovcpr
Campus life, whether students live off-campus, on-campus, or at home, brings with it a new sense of independence for most students. This includes class schedules, social events, dorm life, organizations, and jobs. With so many changes and adjustments students, and often their parents, forget about campus safety, not to mention their own safety. For many reasons, college campuses may feel safe because as a student, your peers surround you and dorms start to feel more like your bedroom at home. It is important to be sensible and aware of your surroundings.
Since SOC’s inception, it is evident that campus safety is most successful when the community encourages collaboration between campus staff, administration, students, parents, and community groups. National Campus Safety Awareness Month was built on the principle of students, staff, and parents collaborating to raise awareness about safety during September.
Visit our NCSAM website http://www.ncsam.org/ and sign on as a supporter- at no charge. Feel free to share our site with your campus or link to it. We will enter all supporters in a raffle to win a NCSAM banner and our new sexual assault video ($205 value).
Since SOC’s inception, it is evident that campus safety is most successful when the community encourages collaboration between campus staff, administration, students, parents, and community groups. National Campus Safety Awareness Month was built on the principle of students, staff, and parents collaborating to raise awareness about safety during September.
Visit our NCSAM website http://www.ncsam.org/ and sign on as a supporter- at no charge. Feel free to share our site with your campus or link to it. We will enter all supporters in a raffle to win a NCSAM banner and our new sexual assault video ($205 value).
New proposed federal regulations that would overhaul how colleges and universities respond to and report campus emergencies, fires in student residences on campus, missing students and hate crimes were published this morning by the U.S. Department of Education. The new guidelines would implement new laws passed by Congress last year and reflect the most significant improvements to campus safety guidelines in a decade. The public will have an opportunity to comment through September 21, 2009.
Under the new guidelines colleges would, among other things, have to articulate how they will confirm "all hazards" emergencies on campus and issue immediate notifications to the affected segment or segments of their campus population. They will also have to report an expanded list of hate crime statistics including intimidation and theft.
Colleges with student residential facilities on campus will have to disclose the level of fire safety in residences along with three years worth of statistics on fires as well as fire related deaths and injuries. Colleges with student residential facilities will also have to establish and disclose a policy for dealing with missing students as a part of their annual campus security report.
The complete proposed regulations, which also include regulations dealing with non-campus safety issues, may be accessed at either http://edocket.access.gpo.
The U.S. Department of Education will be accepting comments on the proposed regulations through http://www.regulations.gov
Under the new guidelines colleges would, among other things, have to articulate how they will confirm "all hazards" emergencies on campus and issue immediate notifications to the affected segment or segments of their campus population. They will also have to report an expanded list of hate crime statistics including intimidation and theft.
Colleges with student residential facilities on campus will have to disclose the level of fire safety in residences along with three years worth of statistics on fires as well as fire related deaths and injuries. Colleges with student residential facilities will also have to establish and disclose a policy for dealing with missing students as a part of their annual campus security report.
The complete proposed regulations, which also include regulations dealing with non-campus safety issues, may be accessed at either http://edocket.access.gpo.
The U.S. Department of Education will be accepting comments on the proposed regulations through http://www.regulations.gov
Security On Campus (SOC) staff, Jonathan Kassa, S. Daniel Carter, and Alison Kiss will be presenting a FREE, live sixty minute web program, "Security On Campus."
It will be broadcast on LEAPS.TV on Thursday, August 20, 2009 at 3:00 p.m. US ET. The program will cover current issues regarding campus safety and legislation as well as information on SOC's peer education, victim advocacy and National Campus Safety Awareness Month programs.
On-demand reruns will be available at no charge 24x7 for the following four weeks. Even if you can't make it for the live show register now because registered viewers will receive a reminder email when the reruns start.
http://www.leaps.tv/progra
It will be broadcast on LEAPS.TV on Thursday, August 20, 2009 at 3:00 p.m. US ET. The program will cover current issues regarding campus safety and legislation as well as information on SOC's peer education, victim advocacy and National Campus Safety Awareness Month programs.
On-demand reruns will be available at no charge 24x7 for the following four weeks. Even if you can't make it for the live show register now because registered viewers will receive a reminder email when the reruns start.
http://www.leaps.tv/progra