The Clery Act, also known as the
Jeanne Clery Act, the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and
Campus Crime Statistics Act, or the Campus Security Act, is a federal law that
was signed into law by George H.W. Bush in November 1990. This is a law that
came about following the death of a student at Lehigh University in April 1986.
The student, Jeanne Clery, was raped, strangled, mutilated with a broken glass
bottle, and then ultimately murdered. This horrendous crime all happened in a place
that she should have been safe in, her own dorm room by a fellow Lehigh
University student Josoph Henry. [1]
Henry was a student who lived off campus but was still able to gain entry into
her residence hall by doors that had been propped open by pizza boxes. The
residents of the hall found it convenient to have the doors propped open for
reasons that are still unknown, but ultimately their decisions turned out to be
unsafe. After two hours of deliberation on April 1987, the jury found Josoph M.
Henry guilty and was sentenced to death by electric chair. However, during the
trial of Josoph Henry, Jeanne Clery’s parents learned about the inconsistencies
of Lehigh University campus security and filed a $25 million dollar lawsuit
against the University for negligence. [2]
The Clery Act, is
enforced by the Department of Education, and requires all colleges and
universities to disclose information about the crime that happens on and around
the campuses. They must publish an Annual Security Report (ASR) by October 1st
that shows campus crime statistics, security policies, and the guaranteed
rights of sexual assault victims. This report must be made available to all
students, employees, and prospective student. Colleges are also required to
have a public crime log. Colleges with a
police department are required to have a crime log that list the nature, date,
time, and general location.
The crime statistics must disclose major crimes
such as homicide, sexual offenses, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary,
vehicle theft, and arson. Hate crimes must also be reported such as theft, assault,
intimidation, and vandalism. Colleges must deliver warning about crimes that
pose aserious threat to students, falculty, and staff. Arrest for alcohol, drugs, and weapons must be
reported. An emergency response, notification, and testing policy must be
enacted on all college campuses. Campuses must also publish an annual fire
safety report, and enact policies and procedures for missing students. This helps
to eliminate some the confusion during the beginning stages of a missing person
investigation.[3]
As a student of the University of North Carolina
at Charlotte, it is comforting to know that my university is required by the
Clery Act to keep students safe through various policies and keep us informed
through published reports and emergency notification. Although the death of
Jeanne Clery is very tragic, her untimely death was able to bring about a change
on all campuses across the United States and started a cause that has now
protected so many lives, and will continue to protect the lives of college
students. If I wasn’t for the Clery Act who knows what campus security would be
like today? Would we notified about an intruder on campus? Would we know the
crime rates that happened the previous year? Would many other students have
lost their lives until finally it was made clear that something needed to be
done? What the parents of Jeanne Clery did after their daughters death to
prevent other incidences such as their daughters horrific murder, is
remarkable. All students should be thankful for the Clery Act.
[1] Peterson,
Margie . "Murder at Lehigh University Shocked the Nation 25 Years
Ago." Emmaus Patch.
http://emmaus.patch.com/groups/politics-and-elections/p/murder-at-lehigh-university-shocked-the-nation-25-years-ago
(accessed April 27, 2014).
[2] Gross,
Ken, and Andrea Fine. "After Their Daughter Is Murdered at College, Her
Grieving Parents Mount a Crusade for Campus Safety." People,
February 19, 1990.
[3] "Summary
Of The Jeanne Clery Act." Clery Center For Security On Campus.
http://clerycenter.org/summary-jeanne-clery-act (accessed April 28, 2014).
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