Campus Security Authority

If someone has significant responsibility for student and campus activities, they are a campus security authority (CSA). This definition is defined broadly to ensure complete coverage and thorough reporting of crimes.

 

If someone has significant responsibility for student and campus activities, they are a campus security authority (CSA). This definition is defined broadly to ensure complete coverage and thorough reporting of crimes.

 

Campus Security Authority (CSA) Crime Reporting Form

 

 

 

How to Identify a Campus Security Authority

 

A “Campus security authority," or a CSA, is a Clery-specific term that encompasses four groups of individuals and organizations associated with an institution.

 

A CSA can be...

 

 

 

Icon depicting a Person Attracting the Attention of a Police Officer or Authority Figure

Icon depicting a Person Intervening in Conflict Between Two Arguing People by Standing Between Them

A campus police department or a campus security department of an institution. If your institution has a campus police or security department, those individuals are campus security authorities.

A security department can be as small as one person.

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), including individuals who provide security at a campus parking kiosk, monitor access into a campus facility, act as event security, or escort students around campus after dark.

Icon depicting a Person Intervening in Conflict Between Two Arguing People by Standing Between Them

Icon depicting a person Engaging in a Distracting Action, Capturing the Attention of Another Person Who Appears Confused

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.

If you direct the campus community to report criminal incidents to anyone or any organization in addition to police or security-related personnel, that individual or organization is a campus security authority.

An official of an institution who has significant responsibility for student and campus activities, including, but not limited to, student housing, student discipline, and campus judicial proceedings.

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.

 

Some additional examples of CSAs are, but not limited to:

  • academic deans;
  • student affairs/residential life officials;
  • coordinator of Greek affairs (or related positions);
  • athletic administrators including director,
  • assistant directors and coaches;
  • student activities coordinators and staff;
  • student judicial officials;
  • faculty and staff advisors to student organizations;
  • student center building staff;
  • student peer education advisors;
  • and administrators at satellite campuses.

 

 

 

Reporting Crimes

 

 

 

Under Clery, a crime is “reported” when it is brought to the attention of a campus security authority or local law enforcement personnel by a victim, witness, other third party or even the offender. It doesn’t matter whether or not the individuals involved in the crime, or reporting the crime, are associated with the institution. If a campus security authority receives the crime information and believes it was provided in good faith, he or she should document it as a crime report. In “good faith” means there is a reasonable basis for believing that the information is not simply rumor or hearsay. That is, there is little or no reason to doubt the validity of the information.

Therefore, what you must disclose are statistics from reports of alleged criminal incidents. It is not necessary for the crime to have been investigated by the police or a campus security authority, nor must a finding of guilt or responsibility be made to disclose the statistic.

 

What crimes must the CSA report?

The Annual Security Report must include statistics on the four general categories of crime statistics as follows:

  1. Criminal Offenses – Criminal Homicide, including Murder and Non-negligent Manslaughter, and Manslaughter by Negligence, Sexual Assault, including Rape, Fondling, Incest and Statutory Rape; Robbery, Aggravated Assault, Burglary; Motor Vehicle Theft; and Arson.
  2. Hate Crimes – Any of the above-mentioned offense, and any incidents of Theft, Simple Assault, Intimidation, or Criminal Mischief (destruction/damage to property) that were motivated by bias that manifests evidence that the victim was intentionally selected because of the perpetrator’s bias against the victim.
  3. VAWA (Violence Against Women Act) Offenses – Any incidents of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence and Stalking (Note: sexual assault is also a VAWA Offense but is included in Criminal Offenses for Clery Act reporting).
  4. Arrest and Referrals for Disciplinary Action for Violations of Weapons, Drugs and Liquor Laws.

After a CSA reports the crime to the Florida A&M University’s Department of Campus Safety & Security, the Clery Act Coordinator will review the report to ensure that the crime(s) are properly classified.

Campus Security Authority (CSA) Crime Reporting Form