Campus Security Authorities

The Clery Act also mandates that institutions must disclose statistics both for crimes reported to local police agencies and crimes reported to “campus security authorities”. Campus security authorities include the following:

  • A member of a campus police department or a campus security department of an institution.
  • Any individual or individuals who have responsibility for campus security, but who do not constitute a campus police department or a campus security department (e.g., an individual who is responsible for monitoring the entrance into institutional property).
  • 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.
  • An official of an institution who has significant responsibility for student and campus activities, including, but not limited to, the following positions:
    • Vice President for Student Affairs
    • Dean of Student Life
    • Director of Residence Life and Student Housing
    • All Head Coaches and Assistant Coaches for all areas in the Athletic Department.
    • All Associate Athletic Directors
    • Law School – Associate Dean for Student Affairs

* An official is defined as any person who has the authority and the duty to take action or respond to particular issues on behalf of the institution.

 

Examples of individuals who DO NOT meet the criteria for being campus security authorities include a faculty member who does not have any responsibility for student and campus activity beyond the classroom, clerical staff, custodians and maintenance personnel, and cafeteria staff.   A pastoral or professional counselor on campus does not have significant responsibility for student and campus activity and are exempt from reporting crimes to the campus police.  However, physicians and nurses of the Memorial Health Center who treat a victim of a violent crime that occurred on the campus or a facility under the control of the university, must disclose that crime report to the SMU Police.  They are not required to release the names of the victims/patients. 

 

Clery Act crimes reported to local municipal police will be included as long as the municipal police agency notifies the SMU Police and the reported crime occurred in an area for which the institution is responsible.  

 

As a CSA, if you need to report an incident, you can either call our department at 214-768-3388 or you can fill out the online CSA Form