Presentation at the 2012 UVM Legal Issues in Higher Education on what we can learn from the Clery Crime Statistics.

1. How Safe Are Our Campuses?
What the Clery Numbers Tell
Us
Gary J. Margolis
Steven J. Healy

2. Agenda
• What’s Required
• What The Numbers Tell Us
• Enhancing Reporting
SJH
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3. Tweet Tweet
@margolishealy
#uvmhighered
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4. True or False
• Crime on campuses has increased over
the past 5 years?
• I’ve had a major violent incident on my
campus over the past 3 years?
• Sexual assault reporting on my campus
has increased over the past 3 years?
SJH
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5. Why the Myth?
• ―If it bleeds, it leads!‖
• The World is Flat
• Cluster of high profile incidents
• Growth of advocacy groups
• Predictable Surprises
SJH
© Margolis Healy & Associates, LLC

6. What’s Required
• The Clery Act requires institutions to
disclose 3 general categories of crime
statistics:
 7 Clery Act Crimes;
 Hate Crimes—incidents motivated by bias;
 Arrests and Disciplinary Referrals for Action for
Weapons Violations, Drug Abuse Violations
and Liquor Law Violations.
SJH
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7. Population
GJM
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8. What The Numbers Tell
Us
• Campuses are generally very safe places
• Crime is relatively flat, at least over the past 6
years
• Urban campuses have unique challenges
• Community Colleges have very few crimes
(reported)
• Campuses experience the same challenges as
general society with respect to sexual assault
reporting
GJM
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9. What The Numbers Tell
Us
VIOLENT CRIMES PER 1000 STUDENTS
5
Mean per 1000
2006
2007
2008
3.76
3.676 3.714 2009
3.568 3.573 2010
3
How Disclosed?
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Year
GJM
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10. What The Numbers Tell
Us
WEAPONS VIOLATIONS PER 1000 STUDENTS
1
0.9 0.907
0.88
0.8 0.787
0.738
0.7
0.627
Mean per 1000
0.6
0.5
WEAPONS VIOLATIONS PER 1000
0.4 STUDENTS
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
How Disclosed?
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Year
GJM
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11. What The Numbers Tell
Us
ALCOHOL VIOLATIONS PER 1000 STUDENTS
14
12
11.593
10.862 10.673
10 10.204
9.323
8
ALCOHOL VIOLATIONS PER 1000
6 STUDENTS
4
2
How Disclosed?
0
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
SJH
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12. What The Numbers Tell
Us
PROPERTY CRIMES PER 1000 STUDENTS
6.3
6.221
6.2
6.1 6.117
6 5.986
5.9 5.907
5.8 PROPERTY VIOLATIONS PER 1000
STUDENTS
5.7
5.639
5.6
5.5
5.4 How Disclosed?
5.3
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
SJH
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13. What The Numbers Tell
Us
How Disclosed?
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14. What The Numbers Tell
Us
How Disclosed?
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15. Challenges
For the consumer, stats are not easily accessible
 They reside in a cumbersome database that
doesn’t provide easy-to-read comparisons or
analysis
 Many of the stats that matter most to campus
community members aren’t collected
 Crime happens off-campus
 Crime is often under- or unreported
 Sexual violence underreporting is significant
(<5%)
 Other factors impact collection and disclosure
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SJH

16. Factors
• Institutional policies
• Geographical settings
• Varying knowledge and skill level
• Relationships inside the institution
• Relationships with supporting agencies
GJM
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17. How to Enhance
Reporting
• Provide multiple ways for people to report
• Get the word out
• Forge relationships with likely first
responders and advocates
• Review processes for the most complex
crimes
• Train CPS, student affairs, others on initial
intake
• Acknowledge interconnected nature of both
compliance & crimes SJH
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18. How to Enhance
Reporting
• Transparency
• Accountability
• Education
• Collaboration
GJM
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19. Conclusion
• Our campuses are reasonably safe places
• Crimes do occur – are you ready?
• Clery crime data can be useful, if you use it
• Making it useful (and accurate) requires
collaboration
• Collaboration and coordination are key
GJM
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20. CONTACT
www.margolishealy.com
866-817-5817
www.slideshare.net/margolishealy
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21. CAMPUS SENTINEL
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