Campus Security Act

• NCJ Number: 188032
• Journal: Journal of Security Administration Volume: 23 Issue: 2 Dated: December 2000 Pages: 25-27
• Author(s): Michael A. Hudge J.D.
• Date Published: December 2000
• Length: 3 pages
• Sale Source: NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Legislation/Policy Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article outlines the components of the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1989, its history, and new developments.

Abstract

The primary purpose of this act was to force colleges and universities to disclose campus crime statistics and security policies to all students and employees of such campuses. The stringent reporting regulations were expected to reduce the incidents of crime and allow individuals to properly assess the risk of victimization and thus protect themselves. The law was again amended in 1992 to include the Campus Sexual Assault Victims' Bill of Rights. This amendment was added to ensure that schools establish policies that specifically deal with sexual assaults on campuses. Moreover, the sexual assault policies were to be drafted in such a way as to provide certain assurances to victims. Shortly after passage of the Act, the U.S. Department of Education was slow to establish procedures for monitoring compliance with the Act. In addition, at the campus level, the requirement of disclosure was made difficult by uncertain reporting methods. Various campuses had difficulty deciding how to report to law enforcement and to institution officials. Because of privacy concerns, the major difficulty involved the reporting of delicate issues such as sex offenses and hate crimes. To date, the U.S. Department of Education has found several institutions to be in violation of the Act. In all cases, a review by the U.S. Department of Education was conducted, and formal reports were issued. New legislation signed into law by President Clinton established hefty fines for noncompliance with the Act. For all security consultants and security professionals who operate in campus settings, a thorough and detailed review of the Campus Crime Disclosure Act of 1998 should be conducted, since failure to comply with it can result in large fines and possibly civil lawsuits.