Res 0021-2014

By Council Members Rose, Levin, Kallos, Reynoso and Cohen Whereas, Violent acts on college campuses across the country have increased in recent years, raising more concern about student safety; and Whereas, There is a growing number of reported high profile cases that include shootings and sexual assaults on college campuses, as well as hazing incidents that have resulted in serious injury or death; and Whereas, According to a 2007 report by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), crime in schools and colleges is one of the most troublesome social problems in the nation today; and Whereas, According to a 2003 report by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, an average of 526,000 college students in the United States (U.S.) aged 18-24, experienced violent crimes such as rape, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault each year; and Whereas, Students who have been victimized may experience psychological effects that prevent them from performing at the same academic levels prior to an incident, which may also result in dropping out of school; and Whereas, The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act ("Clery Act") is a federal mandate requiring all institutions of higher education that participate in the federal student financial aid program to disclose information regarding crime on their campuses and surrounding communities; and Whereas, However, each college has its own set of guidelines and student advocacy organizations are concerned that such guidelines may not be adequately enforced and, further, may not meet federal standards; and Whereas, To strengthen safety and security measures at postsecondary institutions, H.R.359, sponsored by Congressman Robert Scott and S.433, sponsored by Senator Mark Warner, also known as the Center to Advance, Monitor, and Preserve University Security Safety Act ("CAMPUS Safety Act") of 2013 would establish a National Center for Campus Public Safety (the "Center") to train public safety personnel at institutions of higher learning, foster research to improve campus safety and security, disseminate information, and identify best practices, including behavioral threat assessments, emergency responses and evacuation procedures; and Whereas, The Center would be authorized to issue grants to institutions of higher education and nonprofit organizations to strengthen training and research initiatives; and Whereas, Furthermore, the bill would help to strengthen collaboration between institutions of higher learning, law enforcement, mental health service providers and government agencies; and Whereas, In addition to the campus safety provisions, the bill would also reauthorize the Secure Our Schools grant program to help provide for security-related capital improvements at K-12 schools, such as classroom locks, lighting, fencing, reinforced doors and other deterrent measures; and Whereas, On March 12, 2013, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee passed this legislation, however no action has been taken by the U.S. House Judiciary Committee; and Whereas, On March 26, 2013, H.R. 933, the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2013, was signed by President Barack Obama and enacted; and Whereas, A provision within this legislation allowed for the allocation of $2.75 million to the Department of Justice to establish and operate a National Center for Campus Safety; and Whereas, Nonetheless, passage of the CAMPUS Safety Act is still needed to permanently authorize the establishment of the Center and to secure future funding; and Whereas, Students should be able to pursue a college education without the fear of being subjected to an unsafe learning environment; and Whereas, Passage of the CAMPUS Safety Act of 2013 would help to better address various situations on campuses that threaten student safety by identifying effective practices, streamlining information and implementing appropriate training; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York supports the CAMPUS Safety Act of 2013 (H.R.359/S.433), which would establish and operate a National Center for Campus Public Safety. TC Res 1720/2013 LS 58/2014 2