Clery Act Compliance & Annual Security Report Preparation Policy

The State University of New York at Plattsburgh (“University”) is committed to protecting the campus community and providing them with information and resources to help keep them safe.  To assist in that endeavor the University will comply with requirements of the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act).  

The Clery Act (34 CFR § 668.41, 668.46, 668.49) is a federal statute requiring colleges and universities participating in federal financial aid programs to maintain and disclose campus crime statistics, security policies, safety information, and resources.

Date	Version Number	Change Description	Referenced Section
2/10/10	1.0	New Document	Entire Document
12/29/16	1.1	Minor Revisions	Format and Contact Information
10/12/18	1.2	Minor Revisions	Format, Links and Contact Information
9/25/19	1.3	Minor Revisions	9.0, Format and Contact Information
12/30/21	1.4	Minor Revisions	9.0
8/31/24	2.0	Major Revisions	Title, 1.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 9.0, 10.0

Review Process / Approval

Action:	Units	Date
Policy Review	University Police Management Services
Policy Approval	Executive Council

None

Annual Security Report: The Annual Security Report (ASR) is a comprehensive document that colleges and universities in the United States must publish each year. It includes detailed information on campus security policies, crime statistics for the past three years, and efforts to improve campus safety. The report includes statistics for various crimes, including sexual assault, robbery, and hate crimes, and also outlines the institution's policies on reporting crimes, emergency response, and the rights of victims. The ASR aims to provide transparency and ensure that students, staff, and the public are informed about campus safety.

Annual Security and Fire Safety Report: The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report (ASFSR) is a document combining the Annual Security Report and Fire Safety Report of an institution.

Campus security authority:

1. A campus police department or a campus security department of an institution.
2. Any individual or individuals who have responsibility for campus security but who do not constitute a campus police department or a campus security department under paragraph (i) of this definition, such as an individual who is responsible for monitoring entrance into institutional property.
3. Any individual or organization specified in an institution's statement of campus security policy as an individual or organization to which students and employees should report criminal offenses.
4. An official of an institution who has significant responsibility for student and campus activities, including, but not limited to, student housing, student discipline, and campus judicial proceedings. If such an official is a pastoral or professional counselor as defined below, the official is not considered a campus security authority when acting as a pastoral or professional counselor.

Code of Federal Regulations (CFR): The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government.

Clery Geography:

(A) Campus:

1. Any building or property owned or controlled by an institution within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area (within 1 mile) and used by the institution in direct support of, or in a manner related to, the institution's educational purposes, including residence halls; and
2. Any building or property that is within or reasonably contiguous to the area identified in paragraph (i) of this definition, that is owned by the institution but controlled by another person, is frequently used by students, and supports institutional purposes (such as a food or other retail vendor).; and

(B) Noncampus building or property.

1. (Any building or property owned or controlled by a student organization that is officially recognized by the institution; or
2. Any building or property owned or controlled by an institution that is used in direct support of, or in relation to, the institution's educational purposes, is frequently used by students, and is not within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area of the institution.; and

(C) Public property.

1. 1. All public property, including thoroughfares, streets, sidewalks, and parking facilities, that is within the campus, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus.
   2. Note:  For daily crime log reporting, Clery geography also includes areas within the patrol jurisdiction of the University Police Department.

Daily Crime log: An institution that maintains a campus police or a campus security department must maintain a written, easily understood daily crime log that records, by the date the crime was reported, any crime that occurred within its Clery geography that is reported to the campus police or the campus security department.

This log must include:

1. The nature, date, time, and general location of each crime; and
2. The disposition of the complaint, if known.

Fire Log: An institution that maintains on-campus student housing facilities must maintain a written, easily understood fire log that records, by the date that the fire was reported, any fire that occurred in an on-campus student housing facility. This log must include the nature, date, time, and general location of each fire and be updated within 2 business days of receiving the information.

The log must be open to the public for inspection during normal business hours and include information for the most recent 60-day period.  Any portion of the log older than 60 days must be available within two business days of a request for public inspection.

Fire Safety Report: Beginning October 1, 2010, an institution that maintains any on-campus student housing facility must prepare an annual fire safety report that contains, at a minimum, the following information:

(1) Fire statistics for each on-campus student housing facility, for the three most recent calendar years for which data are available, concerning:

• The number of fires and the cause of each fire;
• The number of persons who received fire-related injuries that resulted in treatment at a medical facility, including at an on-campus health center;
• The number of deaths related to a fire; and
• The value of property damage caused by a fire.

(2) A description of each on-campus student housing facility fire safety system.

(3) The number of fire drills held during the previous calendar year.

(4) The institution's policies or rules on portable electrical appliances, smoking, and open flames in a student housing facility.

(5) The institution's procedures for student housing evacuation in the case of a fire.

(6) The policies regarding fire safety education and training programs provided to the students and employees. In these policies, the institution must describe the procedures that students and employees should follow in the case of a fire.

(7) For purposes of including a fire in the statistics in the annual fire safety report, a list of the titles of each person or organization to which students and employees should report that a fire occurred.

(8) Plans for future improvements in fire safety, if determined necessary by the institution.

Campus Security Authorities (CSAs): Campus Security Authorities are responsible for immediately reporting to the University Police Department, reports of Clery Crimes occurring on the University’s Clery Geography that are reported to them.  These referrals are necessary for evaluating the need for a Timely Warning or Emergency Notification, inclusion in campus crime statistics, and the Daily Crime Log.  Referrals can be made by either phoning the University Police Department at 518-564-2022 or filing a Clery Crime Reporting Form online.

CSAs will be identified by the University by job responsibility as described in 34 CFR § 668.46.  In addition, the University designates the following individuals as CSAs/persons to whom students and employees should report criminal offenses: all University Police Officers, Title IX Coordinator, Director of Campus Housing and Community Living, Director of Student Conduct, Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life, Director of the Center for Student Involvement, Director of the Educational Opportunity Program, Director of Athletics, all athletic team coaches and assistant coaches, and all residence Hall Directors.

Environmental Health and Safety The Environmental Health and Safety Officer (or designee) is responsible for:

• the maintenance of the University’s Fire Log; and 
• Preparing the Annual Fire Safety Report; 

University PoliceThe University Police Chief (or designee(s)) is responsible for:

• Identifying and compiling a list of the University’s CSAs; and
• receiving and documenting Reports from CSAs and evaluating them for Timely Warning or Emergency Notification, and inclusion in the Daily Crime Log; and 
• obtaining Crime Statistics for preparing and publishing the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report in collaboration with other campus departments, including, but not limited to, Housing and Community Living, Internal Control/Risk Management, Title IX, Human Resource Services, Environmental Health and Safety, and Student Conduct; and
• reviewing and identifying the University’s Clery Geography including:
  • identifying and categorizing buildings and properties that the University, the University affiliates, and recognized student organizations own or control; and
  • Identifying public property; and 
• maintaining a written, easily understood Daily Crime Log that records, by date reported, any crime that occurred within its Clery geography and areas within its patrol jurisdiction.
  • The University Police Department must make an entry or an addition to an entry to the log within two business days of the report to the University Police Department unless that disclosure is prohibited by law or would jeopardize the confidentiality of the victim.
  • University Police may withhold information if there is clear and convincing evidence that the release of the information would:
    • Jeopardize an ongoing criminal investigation or the safety of an individual; or
    • Cause a suspect to flee or evade detection; or
    • Result in the destruction of evidence.
  • University Police must disclose any information withheld underthis section once the adverse effect is no longer likely to occur.
    • University Police may withhold only that information that would cause the adverse effects described above.
  • University Police must make the crime log for the most recent 60-day period open to public inspection during normal business hours, and any portion of the log older than 60 days available within two business days of a request for public inspection.
• annually in August, registering the main campus and branch campus for the US Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security Survey with a unique campus ID and password sent to each institution’s president’s office.  
• by October 15th, complete the US Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security Survey for the main campus and branch campus, including fire safety report statistics.
  • Any corrections to the previous year's statistical data will require re-distribution of the affected Annual Security Reports already distributed. 

Annually, before the start of the academic year, the University Police Chief will identify the University’s CSAs. The CSA list will be generated by reviewing the job responsibilities of campus employees, from employee listings from Enrollment and Student Success, the Division of Equity and Inclusion, Advisors from Clubs and Organizations, members of the Executive Cabinet, and Deans and Department Chairs.  

Once identified, the University Police Chief will notify CSAs by email of their designation and responsibilities.  The list of CSAs will be forwarded to the Internal Control/Risk Mgmt Officer for assignment of mandatory online CSA training.  

Preparing the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report (Main Campus)

Annually in June:

A. The University Police Chief (or designee) will send letters to area state and local law enforcement agencies requesting statistics for Clery crimes investigated by those agencies that occurred within the University’s Clery geography over the preceding calendar year.

Annually in July:

A. The University Police Chief (or designee) will request from the Title IX Coordinator, the Director of Housing and Community Living, and the Director for Student Involvement a list and description of the University’s education and awareness programming.

B. A committee comprised of Clery-trained University Police Officers, designated by the University Police Chief, will meet and identify member responsibilities for identifying, collecting, and counting crime statistics from the University Police Records Management System,  Student Conduct, and Title IX Offices.

• Reports will be reviewed and recorded for statistical purposes following guidance provided in 34 CFR § 668.46 9 (c)(1)(i)(C).
• Reports requiring counting will be recorded on a counting spreadsheet by source (UPD, TitleIX, CSA, etc.), date, report number (when available), Clery Crime or referral type, and geography.  Unfounded reports will be recorded in a separate column.
• Hate crimes will be recorded by source, date, report number, crime category, and bias motivation.

C. The University Police Chief will request Fire Statistics from the Environmental Health and Safety Officer.

D. The University Police Chief (or designee) will request an updated list of properties and buildings that are part of the University’s Clery Geography from the Provost’s Office, College Auxiliary Services, and the Internal Control/Risk Management Officer.

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report from the previous year will be reviewed and updated with any changes over the preceding year for requirements specified in 34 CFR § 668.46 (b)(1).

Copies of the ASFSR and supporting documents will be retained for 7 years.

Preparing the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report (Branch Campus)

SUNY Plattsburgh at Queensbury Branch Campus is located at SUNY Adirondack Community College.  Crime and Fire statistics for the branch Campus are maintained and recorded by the Campus Public Safety Office of SUNY Adirondack.

Annually in August, the Director and Assistant Director of SUNY Plattsburgh at Queensbury will request crime and fire statistics from the Campus Public Safety Office at SUNY Adirondack Community College.  Once received, the Director and Assistant Director will review the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report from the previous year and update it with any changes over the preceding year for requirements specified in 34 CFR § 668.46 (b)(1).

Distributing the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report

Main Campus

By October 1st of each year, the University Police Chief will distribute the SUNY Plattsburgh Main Campus Annual Security and Fire Safety Report (ASFSR) to all enrolled students and current employees by critical email and post it on the University Police webpage.

The ASFSR distribution will include a statement of the report’s availability, the exact electronic address at which the report is posted, a brief description of the report’s content, and a statement that the University will provide a paper copy of the report upon request.

Any subsequent corrections to the distributed ASFSR will require redistribution as specified above.

Branch Campus

By October 1st of each year, the Director or Assistant Director of the Branch Campus will distribute the SUNY Plattsburgh at Queensbury Annual Security and Fire Safety Report (ASFSR) to all enrolled students and current employees by critical email, and forward a copy to the main campus Chief of Police for posting on the University Police webpage.

The ASFSR distribution will include a statement of the report’s availability, the exact electronic address at which the report is posted, a brief description of the report’s content, and a statement that the University will provide a paper copy of the report upon request.

Any subsequent corrections to the distributed ASFSR will require redistribution as specified above.

US Dept of Education’s Campus Safety and Security Survey

Under the Clery Act, institutions that participate in the Federal student financial assistance programs must provide crime and fire statistics for the prior three years to the Department.   Annually in August, the US Department of Education will notify college presidents via email with a unique user and password for the Campus Safety Survey Administrator (Chief of Police) to register the institution for the online Campus Safety and Security Survey.

The survey must be completed by October 15th for the main campus and the branch campus.  Any corrections from the previous year’s data can be corrected during this submission.  (Note:  Any corrections to the survey made following the distribution of the ASFSR will require a redistribution.)

None

Related Policies

SUNY Plattsburgh Policy #8011 — Crime Alert & Emergency Notification Policy & Procedure

Additional Resources

• CLERY ACT APPENDIX TO THE FSA HANDBOOK
• 34 CFR § 668.41- 50 JEANNE CLERY ACT
• SUNY PLATTSBURGH REPORTING AND STATISTICS
• Annual Security and Fire Safety Report
• Branch Campus at Queensbury Annual Security and Fire Safety Report
• US Department of Education — Campus Safety and Security

Method	Date
Campus Handbook	8/31/24
Faculty / Staff Digest	8/31/24
Student Digest	8/31/24
Other	N/A

SafeColleges - Campus Security Authorities (CSA): Roles & Responsibilities Training