By Angela Nash
Jeanne Clery, a 19-year-old student at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, was raped and murdered on April 5, 1986, while she was sleeping in her room.
When her parents found out that 38 violent crimes had occurred on campus in the last three years and had not been reported, they sued the school for negligent care and pursued federal legislation to compel any school receiving financial aid from the government to accurately report crime information.
As a result, The Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990 was enacted.
Although the law has been amended several times since it was first enacted, the purpose of the law has not changed.
'The purpose is to have a common means whereby all colleges and universities can post their crime data and crime prevention programs, so that potential students and employees can make informed decisions about the safety of the schools they are interested in attending or seeking employment with' said Captain Michael Harroun, University Police.
The 2007 Campus Security Report gives information to help BYU students and employees protect themselves from crime.
'The intention of this pamphlet is to provide readers with information that will help minimize the likelihood of becoming a victim of crime whether on the main campus located in Provo, Utah or satellite campuses in Salt Lake City, Jerusalem, London, or McLean, Virginia,' according to the 2007 Campus Security Report.
This report is required by federal legislation, The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act.
'There is significant information in the report, if students will read it, that will help them avoid situations and circumstances that can lead to victimization,' Harroun said.
The biggest crime on campus is theft, accounting for approximately 95 percent of all crime on campus, according to Harroun.
The report gives tips on how to avoid becoming a victim of crimes, including theft.
'The best information in the report the crime prevention tips and programs,' Harroun said.
By studying the report, students can learn how to protect themselves and others from becoming a victim of crime.
'I would hope that students would learn that their personal safety is primarily their responsibility,' Harroun said. 'Hopefully they will also realize that they have a responsibility, not only to themselves, but to others as well, to be alert and report suspicious circumstances, and practice common sense principles...'
Although crime at BYU is very low compared to other schools and the surrounding area, students still need to be aware of threats to their safety, and act with care.
'Brigham Young University and its affiliated campuses are great places to live, work and study,' according to the 2007 Campus Security Report. 'Historically, these campuses have experienced lower crime rates than many other educational institutions of similar size. However, BYU is not immune from social problems. BYU''s safety programs, though effective, are not a substitute for one''s responsibility to practice good safety and security habits.'
The 2007 Campus Security Report is available online at http://police.byu.edu
From page 2 of the 2007 Campus Security Report
This document is designed to provide you with information concerning your personal safety, to inform you of BYU policies that help make campus a safe place and to comply with federal law, which requires BYU to:
-Inform students and employees of BYU''s policies and programs that promote safety and security
-Summarize campus crime data
-Provide suggestions that will help deter criminal behavior
-Inform victims of sex offenses of their rights (See Appendix A)
-Publicize BYU''s drug and alcohol policies (See Appendix B)
-Provide information concerning BYU''s rate of graduation (See Appendix C)
From page 15 of the 2007 Campus Security Report
Personal safety is everyone''s responsibility. Reducing the possibility of victimization is simple:
-Remain alert and attentive to potential danger
-Do not put yourself at risk
-Report suspicious incidents to the police