The annual Clery Act report has shown little fluctuation in campus crime, except for an increase in alcohol violations.
The 2011 Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act report compares crime statistics from the most recent three-year period. The data is the result of crime reports logged by the Department of Public Safety, Student Affairs and local law enforcement.
“[The Clery Act] is a wonderful resource to get a snapshot of an institution’s campus safety related statistics,” said DPS Deputy Director Dawn Emrich. Every institution follows the same guidelines and schedule. It serves as a benchmark to compare crime statistics at colleges and universities.
The Clery Act, signed in 1990, requires “all colleges and universities that participate in federal financial aid programs to maintain and disclose information about crime on and near their respective campuses for the last three years.” The federal statute requires the institution to publish and distribute this information by Oct. 1 each year to current and prospective students and employees. If an institution fails to comply with these terms and conditions, the United States Department of Education can impose civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation.
The report is broken down into several categories and is based on the type of crime and location. All of Pepperdine’s international and graduate campuses are included as well; both are without any reportable incidents for 2011.
The Malibu campus, however, has seen a decrease in the number of forcible sex offenses and burglaries. Conversely, there has been an increase in the number of alcohol violations referred for disciplinary action, from 21 total in 2010, to 35 in 2011.
In 2011, there was one drug-related arrest in a residential facility, according to the report. There were a total of 14 drug-related violations referred for disciplinary action in 2011, compared to 9 in 2010.
Additional categories that received zero reportable offenses on the Malibu campus are robbery, aggravated assault, motor vehicle theft, arson and illegal weapons possession.
The Clery Act is available to view online at www.pepperdine.edu/publicsafety/department/safety/. If a paper copy is desired, contact the Department of Public Safety at extension 4700.
