The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Senate section on pages S9748-S9749 on Sept. 23, 2009.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS
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SENATE RESOLUTION 281--SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF ``NATIONAL
CAMPUS SAFETY AWARENESS MONTH''
Mr. SPECTER (for himself and Mr. Durbin) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:
S. Res. 281
Whereas people on college and university campuses are not immune from the potential acts of crime that the rest of society in the United States faces;
Whereas, pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (20 U.S.C. 1092(f)), colleges and universities reported that from 2005 to 2007, 117 murders, 10,563 forcible-sex offenses, 16,632 aggravated assaults, and 3,226 cases of arson occurred on or around college and university campuses;
Whereas criminal experts estimate that between 20 to 25 percent of female undergraduate students become victims of rape or attempted rape;
Whereas the aggressor in a sexual assault is usually an acquaintance or friend of the victim;
Whereas less than 5 percent of the victims of sexual assaults report those assaults to law enforcement;
Whereas each year 13 percent of female students enrolled in an undergraduate program at a college or university will be victims of stalking;
Whereas approximately 1,825 college and university students between the ages of 18 and 24 die each year from unintentional, alcohol-related injuries, including motor vehicle accidents;
Whereas Security On Campus, Inc., a national nonprofit group dedicated to promoting safety and security on college and university campuses, has designated September as National Campus Safety Awareness Month;
Whereas, each September since 2005, Security On Campus, Inc. has partnered with colleges and universities across the United States to offer educational programming on sexual assault, alcohol and drug abuse, hazing, stalking, and other critical campus safety issues; and
Whereas National Campus Safety Awareness Month provides an opportunity for campus communities to become engaged in efforts to improve campus safety: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) supports the goals and ideals of National Campus Safety Awareness Month; and
(2) encourages colleges and universities throughout the United States to provide campus safety and other crime awareness and prevention programs to students throughout the year.
Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I have sought recognition today to submit a resolution supporting the goals and ideals of a National Campus Safety Awareness Month. Educational institutions should be safe havens where we send our children to learn and grow without fear for their protection and wellbeing, but unfortunately this is not always the case. On April 5, 1986, in the early morning hours, Jeanne Clery, a 19-
year-old Lehigh University student was brutally raped and murdered in her dormitory room. This heinous crime in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania opened the nation's eyes to the true extent of crime on college and university campuses.
When I was District Attorney of Philadelphia, I dealt with many incidents of campus crime and I learned firsthand of its severity. However, I believe that many would be surprised by the extent of the problem. Colleges and universities have reported that from 2005 to 2007, 117 murders, 10,563 forcible-sex offenses, 16,632 aggravated assaults, and 3,226 cases of arson have occurred on or around college and university campuses. Criminal experts estimate that between 20 and 25 percent of female undergraduate students become victims of rape or attempted rape. And each year 13 percent of female students enrolled in an undergraduate program at a college or university are victims of stalking. Additionally, approximately 1,825 college and university students between the ages of 18 and 24 die each year from unintentional, alcohol-related injuries, including motor vehicle accidents.
Since their daughter's death, Connie Clery and her late husband Howard worked tirelessly in their daughter's memory to protect the lives of college students by warning them of these aforementioned dangers. They founded Security On Campus, Inc., a national nonprofit based in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, which is dedicated to promoting safety and security on college and university campuses. Security On Campus, Inc. has found that the beginning of each new school year can be a dangerous time for students, especially for first-year students who are in a new environment and on their own for the first time. For this reason, Security On Campus, Inc. has designated September as National Campus Safety Awareness Month.
Each September since 2005, Security On Campus, Inc. has partnered with colleges and universities across the United States to offer educational programming on critical campus safety issues. In 2008, Security On Campus, Inc. partnered with more than 350 institutions across the country, including 29 from Pennsylvania, to participate in National Campus Safety Awareness Month during September. Campuses offered a wide array of safety programming throughout the month covering everything from the most serious issues of sexual assault and the risks of alcohol abuse to how to protect personal property from burglary. Additionally, Security On Campus, Inc. offers educational videos on sexual assault, alcohol abuse, hazing and stalking that are often integrated into NCSAM programming. Other programming includes safety carnivals set up in high pedestrian traffic areas like student centers or cafeterias, door hangers with safety tips in residence halls, residence hall floor programs, fire safety presentations, Fatal Vision goggles for DUI's, and the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network's Get Carded Day.
When the Clerys approached me shortly after their daughter's murder, I worked with them to develop the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1989, which became law in 1990. This Act was modified and included in the Higher Education Act of 1998, as the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. Since this legislation was enacted, the issue of campus crime has become a routine part of the college selection process, and crime statistics are readily available on the internet so families can compare colleges. It is clear that this legislation has had a positive impact on college and university campus safety. In fact, the U.S. Department of Justice reported that between 1994 and 2004 there was a 9 percent drop in violent crime on campus and a 30 percent drop in property crime. However, it is important to remember that while the law has significantly changed the landscape of campus security for the better, it is evident that more work remains to be done. That is why I continue to advocate for the goals of the National Campus Safety Awareness Month.
Throughout the past several years, I have worked together with the Clerys, Security On Campus, Inc., and crime prevention professionals on campus across the country to help raise much needed awareness about these dangers. Thus, I urge my colleagues to join me in this effort by supporting the goals and ideals of a National Campus Safety Awareness Month.
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