The Xavierite
On Sept. 30 Saint Xavier University emailed students and faculty on campus to notify the general public of the release of their annual security and fire report for 2013. The report in recent years is released and made available on Saint Xavier University’s official website, though custom requests can be made to obtain the report.
The report itself measures crimes that have occurred within the past three years on campus, certain off campus buildings owned and operated by Saint Xavier University, and public property adjacent to property of Saint Xavier University.
The exact reports are divided into various pages with focus on the Chicago campus, Orland Park campus, and off campus locations. Each of these locations reports various amounts of certain crimes that transpire in these locations.
Some of the crimes measured in the reports include sex offenses, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. Domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking have been newly added elements to the crime report that have not reported in the past years.
The reports themselves give an extensive look at the crime statistics on the multiple facilities on and off of Saint Xavier’s main campus. To view the reports and also to examine the annual security report policy statements students are directed to visit sxu.edu and search under the safety and security section of the site under student life. From there students can these annual reports and their findings.
The vast majority of the crime offenses committed on the Chicago campus were drug law and liquor law violations. For the Chicago campus a total of 27 liquor law violations and 3 drug law violations in 2013.
There also was one report of aggravated battery and 2 reports of domestic violence recorded in 2013 on the Chicago campus crime report.
Public Safety Police Chief John Touhy explained the report as legally mandated to be presented because of the Jeanne Clery Act. The Jeanne Clery Act originally went under the name of the Campus Security Act until 1990.
The Clery Act requires that campuses disclose reported crimes near or on their respective campuses. Failure to provide this disclosure leads to harsh penalties for institutions such as loss of student financial aid programs and severe civil penalties or fines.
The Clery Act itself was brought about because of the rape and murder of Jeanne Clery at Lehigh University.
This atrocious crime led to a backlash from the general public who wished to see legislation come about that protected students.
This legislation became what we know today as the Clery Act, which is annually reported.
When asked if any large changes were being made to institutional policies on crime reporting Touhy stated, “we have not had any large changes to institutional polices regarding safety; that said we are always looking at ways to improve safety and an on-going evaluation of our safety measures such as patrol hours, cameras, lighting, swipes, emergency operation plans are taking place. We work with other departments across campus and students to improve safety, since safety is a team effort and everyone’s responsibility.”
The changes in the past year’s policies were not quite substantial within the past year. However more subtle changes can be noted by students who examine the updated policies online.
The crime report itself is made available year round online and the current public safety policies can be viewed year round online as well by students and faculty.
It is worth noting that the campus of Saint Xavier University experienced no cases of hate crimes or reported fires anywhere on campus.
The fire report records any instances of fires reported on the Saint Xavier campuses in both Orland Park and Chicago.
For the past year of 2013 no cases of arson or accidental fires occuring on campus.
The dynamic nature of campus safety is apparent as policies are subject to change on an annual basis when deemed necessary.
There also is constant time spent monitoring policies on campus fire policies which fall under the jurisdiction of public safety.
If a policy is changed in terms of fire situations it will be noted by Saint Xavier University under the policies tab near public safety.
For more information on campus crime and safety for both the Chicago campus and the Orland Park campus continue to read the Xavierite.
Jake Alleruzzo
Senior News Editor
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