Reviews the seriousness of college campus security

Security on college campuses is becoming an area of concern for many university officials. With recent developments in the world, as well as the rise in the use of alcohol and drugs on campus, security teams have an even more challenging task ahead of them then ever before. According to the organization Citizens Against Crime, a crime against a person, such as murder, rape, robbery or assault, occurs every seventeen seconds in the United States, and a property crime, such as burglary, larceny or vehicle theft, occurs every two seconds. Keeping college students safe on campus is becoming harder and harder. An effective security program relies upon the active participation of every student, faculty and staff member.

The reason why many colleges are revamping their security programs is because of media attention from other cases. Crime on college campuses, particularly the 1986 Jeanne Clery sexual assault and murder, captured media attention and brought the issue of campus safety sharply into public view.

Auburn University students at ASAP conference

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Istanbul Technical University (ITU)

Suits filed by victims and surviving family members of homicide victims promoted successful advocacy for federal legislation that require colleges to compile and publish annual campus security reports. Federal laws and the various policies and procedures that have since been developed enhance safety and security on college campuses today.

Since 1991, under the federal "Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act" all institutions of higher learning receiving federal funds must publish an annual campus security report, report three years' worth of campus crime statistics, post security policies, and make timely warnings. The 1998 amendments require that schools also report crimes on public property that is "reasonably contiguous" to campus.

Fordham University's handbook outlines procedures that should be taken in certain situations as well as giving students ground rules to follow to prevent any problems from occurring. In recent...