STORY AND PHOTO BY IVAN VILLA, STAFF WRITER
Cypress College’s Department of Campus Safety released the annual security report known as the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics on Sept. 30, 2024. The report showed an increase in cases of fondling, assault, and burglary but a decrease in vehicle theft in the last year compared to years prior.
This past month there were three cases of sexual assault on the same day just hours from each other. Campus Safety has increased patrol around the Library/Learning Resource Center. The suspect was arrested on Sept. 30 by Cypress Police Department and his bail hearing is scheduled for Tues, Oct. 15, 2024
The report estimates how much crime has increased during the 2023-2024 school year.
According to this year’s Clery Report, vehicle theft decreased from 25 cases in 2022 to 15 in 2023. Although cases of vehicle theft have shown improvement in the last year, there has been an increase in fondling, aggravated assault, and burglary on campus. The report shows two cases of fondling, four cases of aggravated assault, and three cases of burglary in 2023 compared to two cases of fondling, no cases of aggravated assault, and two cases of burglary in 2022.
The Jeanne Clery Act is a federal law that requires all public and private colleges and universities to disclose timely and annual information about campus crime and security policies. All private and public post-secondary education institutions participating in federal student aid programs must comply with the Act.
Congress enacted the original legislation in 1990, as the Campus Security Act; the parents of Jeanne Clery, Howard and Connie Clery, pursued the legislation after their daughter was murdered in 1986 at Lehigh University. In 1998, the Act was renamed in her memory. The Jeanne Clery Act requires all colleges and universities to publish the annual report by Oct. 1.
The Department of Campus Safety maintains a crime log of criminal activity and alleged criminal behavior that is reported. The daily crime log reflects the date and time of the report and the location of the incident. It is located at the Campus Safety office and is available during normal business hours for the public to inspect.
There were nine arrests in 2023, a slight increase for Cypress College. Seven of the nine arrests were made on campus grounds. The cases involved were for violations of the drug law, the liquor law, and the weapon law. There were four cases of referrals for disciplinary action, out of the four cases two were for the liquor law and the other two were for the weapon law. There was one case of dating violence reported in 2023
The annual security reporting must include statistics of campus crime for the preceding three calendar years, plus details about efforts taken to improve campus safety. The categories for the report are criminal offenses, hate crimes, VAWA offenses (Violence Against Women Act), arrests, and referrals for disciplinary action. In case of an ongoing or serious threat, campus officials are required to send out timely warnings and emergency notifications.
If you see something, say something.
To contact the Department of Campus Safety call (714)-484-7387
Cypress Police Department (714)-229-6600
Orange County Sheriff’s Department (714)-647-7000
For Emergencies Dial 9-1-1
To read the report click here: https://www.cypresscollege.edu/academics/divisions-special-programs/services/campus-safety/annual-safety-and-security-report/