Who:  The State’s most active campus safety proponent group: Safe Campus Initiative (SCI), formed by students from MIT, Harvard University and Boston University to make colleges safer for students on campus. http://web.mit.edu/crimeclub/sci/

Security On Campus, Inc. (SOC), the most prominent national group dedicated to the issues of student and campus security, responsible for passage of major laws that ensure basic crime information and sound security policies for all students and staff on American Colleges and Universities.  Founded in 1987 by Connie and Howard Clery, Massachusetts natives, following the brutal murder of their daughter at Lehigh University, in Pennsylvania. SOC is a major supporter of HB3249.  http://www.securityoncampus.org/

What: The Massachusetts legislature Joint Committee on State Administration & Regulatory Oversight’s public hearing on the Campus Crime Information Bill (HB3249), An Act to Provide for the Public Inspection of Records made by State Police Officers (which includes college and university police) at Educational Institutions and Hospitals.    Bill sponsors:  State Representatives Sciortino, and Honan, and State Senator Jehlen.

HB3249 stipulates that private colleges and universities employing special State Police officers must make the officers’ crime reports accessible upon request, just as public colleges and universities must do under the current law.  The bill gives community members access to objective and relevant information in police officers’ incident reports, to better prepare and take specific precautions. For fact sheet and bill text: http:/web.mit.edu/crimeclub/sci/crimebill.html

Where: State House, Room A-1, Boston, MA – Call John Doherty, on site; 617 256-4862 for photo and interview opportunities.

When: Tuesday, June 19, 2007 at 10:30 am

Why: This is the campus crime prevention item for the 2007 MA State legislature. In the environment of more prevalent and increasingly violent school crime incidents; Massachusetts has the opportunity to lead again in:  helping prevent crime, helping to increase communications with the community and campus stakeholders, while protecting the rights of victims and those who enforce campus security.  Supporters will be on hand from the SOC, SCI, as well as representatives from student press, campus law enforcement, and student advocates from MA colleges and universities.

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