What is the Clery Act?
In 1998, the Federal government passed the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act ("Clery Act"), formerly known as The Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act of 1990. This Federal law requires all colleges and universities receiving federal funding to disclose the reported instances of criminal activity on their campuses in a published Annual Security Report (ASR).
In compliance with the California Department of Education and the Clery Act, the ASR is published by October 1st of each year by the VCCCD Police Department and contains three years of crime statistics, policy statements, procedures for reporting crimes, and crime prevention tips. The Clery Act specifically requires the reporting of violent crimes, burglaries, motor vehicle theft, and hate crimes, as well as a summary of arrests and disciplinary referrals for liquor law, drug abuse, and weapons violations. Furthermore, incidents of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking must also be reported as required by the Violence Against Women Act.
Timely Warnings
The Clery Act requires the VCCCD Police Department to issue a Timely Warning whenever a Clery crime, occurring within specific geographic boundaries, poses a serious or on-going threat to the campus community. The following is a catalog of Timely Warnings issued by the Police Department within the last year.
| Date Issued | College | Circumstances | Document |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08/13/23 | Ventura College | Attempted robbery in the West Parking Lot. | imely Warning Bulletin |
| 08/02/23 | Oxnard College |
Shooting victim with suspect outstanding. UPDATE: The suspect is in custody. |
Timely Warning Bulletin |
Campus Security Authorities
The Clery Act and the California Education Code require collecting and publishing statistics for crimes that occur on VCCCD colleges and property, and in certain other campus-associated locations. Because not all crimes are reported to the VCCCD Police Department, law requires other college staff, defined as Campus Security Authorities (CSAs), to report to the VCCCD Police Department about crimes reported to them. A CSA is a college employee with significant responsibility for student and campus activities or staff designated as individuals or departments to whom crimes should be reported. Crime reports from CSAs are included in annual statistics, the Daily Crime Logs, and assessed for the possibility of a campus alert to warn the community about ongoing risks. District and college employees who may be CSAs include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Coaches and Athletic Directors
- Faculty Advisors
- Club Advisors
- Deans
- Student Affairs and Discipline
- Student Health Center Coordinators
- Title IX Coordinators
- Police Employees
- College Presidents
- Board Members
CSAs may report all crimes reported to them using the Campus Security Authority Incident Report form. The form provides important background information, important instructions, and crime definitions for CSAs to use when completing the form. It is highly recommended all CSAs completely read the instructions on the form prior to completing the form.