The article notes that violators of the Jeanne Clery Act, which requires college security authorities to make information on campus crime available to the public, "may be fined up to $27,500 by the U.S. Department of Education for each violation and could lose their eligibility to participate in federal student aid programs."
The story provides a good example of how campus newspapers can hold universities accountable.
In an update story posted on the newspaper's Web site on Oct. 11, a university official promises that the public crime log will be updated in a more timely way starting this week.
Both stories provide a link to the university's online campus crime logs, which as of this writing, were still out of date. The last log was for Sept. 20-26; the law requires authorities to make reports of crime available to the public within two business days.
Kudos to The Ka Leo staff, particularly reporter Alyssa Navares, for publishing this story.
Reporters at other student newspapers investigating whether their schools are in compliance with the Clery Act may want to tap these resources:
Security on Campus Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to improving campus security and safety- The Handbook for Campus Crime Reporting, a PDF form of a booklet prepared for the U.S. Department of Education
- Student Media Guide to the Clery Act, Student Press Law Center
No comments:
Post a Comment