Crime Reporting Procedures - Safety and Security Guidelines

Harrisonburg residents enjoy a relatively low crime rate. However, it is the responsibility of every member of the campus community to take reasonable precautions for maintaining personal safety as well as the safety of others. The university's campus safety and security program is an ongoing process that includes the development and enforcement of policies, regulations, procedures and practices.

Definitions of reportable crimes in the Campus Security Act

Reported crime statistics citation 34 CFR 668.46(c)
The Clery Act requires each institution to disclose four general categories of crime statistics:

Criminal Offenses - Criminal Homicide, including Murder and Non-negligent Manslaughter, and Manslaughter by Negligence; Sexual Assault, including Rape, Fondling, Incest and Statutory Rape; Robbery; Aggravated Assault; Burglary; Motor Vehicle Theft; and Arson.
Hate Crimes - Any of the above-mentioned offenses, and any incidents of Larceny-Theft, Simple Assault, Intimidation, or Destruction/Damage/ Vandalism of Property that were motivated by bias;
VAWA Offenses - Any incidents of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence and Stalking.
Arrests and Referrals for Disciplinary Action - For Weapons Law Violations—Carrying, Possessing, Etc. , Drug Abuse Violations, and Liquor Law Violations.

Crime Definitions

Per the Clery Act, you must classify crimes based on Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI's) Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook (UCR). For sex offenses only, use definitions from the FBI's National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) edition of the UCR. Classify hate crimes according to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Hate Crime Data Collection Guidelines and Training Guide for Hate Crime Data Collection. Although the law states that institutions must use the UCR for defining and classifying crimes, it does not require Clery Act crime reporting to meet all UCR standards. You must disclose reported offenses, not the findings of a court, coroner or jury or the decision of a prosecutor. Classify and count crimes from the records of calls for service, complaints and investigations.

Offense Definitions Relating to Hate Crimes

A hate crime is a criminal offense committed against a person or property, which is motivated, in whole or in part, by the offender's bias. Bias is a preformed negative opinion or attitude toward a group of persons based on their race, gender, religion, disability, sexual orientation or ethnicity/national origin.
Although there are many possible categories of bias, under Clery, only the following eight categories are reported:

Race. A preformed negative attitude toward a group of persons who possess common physical characteristics (e.g., color of skin, eyes, and/or hair; facial features, etc.) genetically transmitted by descent and heredity, which distinguish them as a distinct division of humankind (e.g., Asians, blacks, whites).
Religion. A preformed negative opinion or attitude toward a group of persons who share the same religious beliefs regarding the origin and purpose of the universe and the existence or nonexistence of a supreme being (e.g., Catholics, Jews, Protestants, atheists).
Sexual orientation. A preformed negative opinion or attitude toward a group of persons based on their sexual attraction toward, and responsiveness to, members of their own sex or members of the opposite sex (e.g., gays, lesbians, heterosexuals).
Gender. A preformed negative opinion or attitude toward a person or group of persons based on their actual or perceived gender, e.g., male or female.
Gender Identity. A preformed negative opinion or attitude toward a person or group of persons based on their actual or perceived gender identity, e.g., bias against transgender or gender non-conforming individuals.
Ethnicity. A preformed negative opinion or attitude toward a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, common culture (often including a shared religion) and/or ideology that stresses common ancestry.
National Origin. A preformed negative opinion or attitude toward a group of people based on their actual or perceived country of birth.
Disability. A preformed negative opinion or attitude toward a group of persons based on their physical or mental impairments, whether such disability is temporary or permanent, congenital or acquired by heredity, accident, injury, advanced age or illness.

For Clery purposes, Hate Crimes are crimes or incidents of violence against persons characterized by bias against race, gender, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, national origin and disability.

To Report a Crime

Contact main Campus Safety and Security by dialing 4911 from any campus phone or 540-432-4911 from off campus or from cell phone. Telephones and emergency telephones are located across campus. Any suspicious activity or persons seen in the parking lots or loitering around residential buildings should be reported to campus security or local police. Dial 911 for emergencies. For non- emergency situations, the Harrisonburg Police Department can be contacted at 540-434-4436. Lancaster campus municipal police 717-291-4676, and the Washington D.C. police 202-727-9099. In addition, report crimes to the following people:

Campus Safety and Security Coordinator
Vice-President of Finance
Vice President of Student Affairs
Dean of Students,
Director of Campus Life
Residence Directors
Director of Facilities Management
Director of Intercollegiate Athletics
Director of Counseling Services
Title IX Coordinators

Voluntary Confidential Reporting

Victims of a crime who do not want to pursue action within the university system or the criminal justice system may still want to consider making a confidential report. The reports can be found at https://www.emu.edu/safecampus/ or, with permission, a security officer (or a designee of EMU) can file the incident without revealing the victim's identity. The purpose of a confidential report is to comply with the victim's wish to keep the matter confidential while taking steps to ensure the future safety of everyone on campus. With this information, the university can keep an accurate record of the number of incidents involving students, faculty, or staff, determine where there is a pattern of crime with regard to particular locations, methods, or assailants, and alert the campus community to potential danger. Reports filed in this manner are if applicable, counted and disclosed in the annual crime statistics for the institution. Because of the nature of some types of crimes, confidentiality may not be able to be assured within the criminal justice system.

Timely Warning Reports

Timely warnings may be issued for all Clery Act reportable offenses.
Timely warnings are not limited to violent crimes or crimes against persons. The Clery Act does not specify what information shall be included in a timely warning; however, all attempts will be made to include information that promotes safety and aids in the prevention of similar crimes.
If an incident occurs either on or off campus that in the judgment of the Safety and Security Coordinator, the Vice-President of Finance, or the Dean of Students, presents an ongoing or continued threat, a campus-wide timely warning or notice will be issued to all students, faculty, and staff.
Depending on the circumstances of the crime and immediate threat to the community, timely warnings will be sent by one or more emergency notification systems.
Anyone with information warranting a timely warning should report the circumstances to Campus Security at 4911 or 540-432-4911.

The Clery Act does not require confidential reporting of crimes. Although personally identifiable information is generally precluded from disclosure, such information may be released in an emergency situation.

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) does not preclude an institution's compliance with the timely warning provision of the campus security regulations. FERPA recognizes that information can, in the case of an emergency, be released without consent when needed to protect the health and safety of others. In addition, if institutions utilize information from the records of a campus safety and security department to issue a timely warning, FERPA is not implicated, as those records are not protected by FERPA.

Emergency Notifications

Emergency notifications will be issued upon the confirmation of a significant emergency or situation involving an immediate threat to the health or safety of students, employees or public occurring on the campuses without delay, unless notification will compromise efforts to assist victims or contain the response to, or otherwise mitigate the emergency.
They will be issued by one or more methods of dissemination. EMU Alerts computer banner screen notifications, EMU Alerts phone texts, EMU emergency notification emails, ALERTUS systems desktop and beacons, or any other methods that may be deemed useful.
Confirmation may come by way of the local municipal emergency 911 center, local emergency services, or by campus security or administration.
Notifications will be issued to groups/sectors that are in the most imminent threat if possible first, then to the broader campus community by way of any number of the aforementioned methods.
Content of the notification will be dependent upon the type of situation occurring.
When confirmation of a situation warranting notification has been received, the university Office of Safety & Security, Information Systems department, or Facilities shall initiate the systems.
Annual testing of the notification systems is conducted by all involved departments and records maintained.

Safety Program