Jeanne Clery, a 19-year-old Lehigh University freshman, was assaulted and murdered in her dorm room in April 1986. The Jeanne Clery Act was enacted in the belief that crime awareness can prevent campus victimization. The law requires colleges and universities receiving federal funding to prepare, publish, and distribute, by October 1 of each year, campus security policies and crime statistics. These policies and crime statistics must be distributed to all current students and employees and made available to any applicant for enrollment or employment upon request. "Safety Matters" serves as the campus security report for Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.


Campus Security Act Overview

The Campus Security Act requires Rutgers University to publish a Campus Security Report each year that contains several policies related to campus security as well as crime statistics from the Rutgers University Police Department, local law enforcement, and "Campus Security Authorities." The Jeanne Clery Act defines a Campus Security Authority (CSA) as a campus police department, individuals with campus security responsibility, individuals designated by the campus, and officials with significant responsibility for student and campus activities. For detailed descriptions please see the CSA definitions below.

The identified CSAs must comply with the Jeanne Clery Act reporting requirements. Each Clery Act violation or misrepresentation could result in $62,689 fines and the Department of Education could suspend any or all federal financial aid for the University.

All CSAs are responsible for collecting and reporting certain crimes that are reported to them by students and employees. RUPD collects this information annually.

What does this mean for CSAS

If someone tells you about a crime or an incident that may be a crime, the CSA must record the information and report the incident to the Rutgers Police Department at:

  • Rutgers UniversityCamden: (856) 225-6111
  • Biomedical and Health Sciences at Newark: (973) 972-4491
  • Rutgers UniversityNewark: (973) 353-5111
  • Rutgers UniversityNew Brunswick: (732) 932 -7211

For an Emergency (Police, Fire, Medical) Dial 911

Just get the facts, the police department will figure out what offense (if any) occurred.

Are you a campus security authority (CSA)

Who is a CSA?

  • Campus Police
  • Non-police security staff responsible for monitoring University property
  • People/offices designated under our policy as those to whom/which crimes should be reported
  • Officials with significant responsibility for student and campus activities

Examples of CSAs:

  • Dean of Students who oversees student housing, a student center, or student extracurricular activities
  • A director of athletics, a team coach, or a faculty advisor to a student group
  • A student resident advisor or assistant or a student who monitors access to dormitories

Who is not considered a CSA?

  • Administrative staff not responsible for students (e.g., payroll, facilities)
  • Individual faculty who do NOT serve as an advisor to a registered student organization
  • Clerical staff
  • Doctors in the Student Health Center, or Counselors in the Counseling Center, who only provide care to individual students
  • Other exceptions include: Licensed professional mental health counselors and pastoral counselors (employed by a religious organization to provide confidential counseling), however only when working within the scope of their license or religious assignment at the time they receive the crime report
Campus Security Authority Training

RUPD has developed training materials to help CSAs understand the Clery Act, why they have been designated as CSA, and what is required of them.

Clery Data Collection Survey

Designated Campus Security Authorities (CSA) and local law enforcement report crime statistics that occur on and off campus to the RUPD annually through the Clery Data Collection Survey.

Take the survey

For questions regarding the survey, please contact Director Emma O’Flanagan at (848) 932-4930 or email: emma.oflanagan@rutgers.edu