Security On Campus Update Vol. 3, No. 25
In This Issue

1. Landmark Campus Crime Scene Investigation Bill Signed By Tennessee Governor

2. Study Uncovers Inconsistent Approaches to Sexual Assault Education On California College Campuses

3.Campus Crime In The News

Landmark Campus Crime Scene Investigation Bill Signed By Tennessee Governor

First Of Its Kind Law Will Require Colleges To Call
In Local Police On Death & Rape Investigations

Robbie's Law Signed By Governor Bredesen-Quick Time Movie (April 26, 2004; approx. 2 MB download)

PDF Version Of The "Robert 'Robbie' Nottingham Campus Crime Scene Investigation Act of 2004" (Public Chapter 533)

High-Resolution Picture Of Robbie Nottingham Suitable For Publication (January 2003)
Nashville, TN-Landmark legislation known as "Robbie's Law" requiring Tennessee's colleges and universities to call in local police on death and rape investigations was signed into law by Governor Phil Bredesen (D) Monday afternoon during a public ceremony. According to campus security experts it is the first law in the country to require campus and local police to actually work together to investigate serious crimes on campus.

Robbie NottinghamThe new law, which took effect upon being signed, is named in memory of Robbie Nottingham (pictured left) who was killed by head trauma, apparently after falling from the second story of his on-campus apartment at East Tennessee State University (ETSU) during the early morning hours of March 21, 2003. A campus police investigation, however, was unable to conclusively determine what happened the night of his death.

This led to calls by his family, who believes foul play was involved, for an outside investigation. They also fought for this new law to ensure that campus police would always call in more experienced investigators for help in the most serious of campus crimes. More...

Study Uncovers Inconsistent Approaches to Sexual Assault Education On California College Campuses

California Campus Blueprint to Address Sexual Assault
Sacramento, CA-A college campus is supposed to be one of the safest places women can go. But is it?

A 2000 study funded by the National Institute of Justice projected that colleges with 10,000 students might expect more than 350 rapes per year. And while many campuses officially report zero sexual assault crimes each year, the crime is historically underreported since an estimated 80 to 95 percent of rapes that occur on college campuses are committed by someone the victim knows.

Now, an unprecedented state report – released at a press conference on April 13th held by the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA) in recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month – identifies inconsistencies in services, formalized programs and prevention education activities amongst California's college campuses. The lack of institutionalization and funding for sexual assault programs was noted as a problem by many campuses.

Funded by the State of California and researched by the Governor appointed Campus Sexual Assault Task Force, this 60-page report about campus-based sexual assault-related educational and support services is entitled "California Campus Blueprint to Address Sexual Assault."  The report determined that education and prevention initiatives at the state's colleges and universities are inconsistent, ranging from well-developed, well-funded programs in the UC system, to mixed availability of programs within the state system and little or no programming at the state's private institutions and community colleges.

The study revealed that many of these campuses, particularly the community colleges and private institutions, have no formal sexual assault response programs or working collaborations with their local community based rape crisis centers, have not updated judicial policies to reflect current practices in responding to sexual assault on campus, and have little or no formalized training programs for security personnel, administrators or faculty, primarily due to lack of funding. The UC system has the longest history of sexual assault programs and is the most consistent in offering services to students and others on campus. More...

Campus Crime In The News

Five years later, questions remain in campus slaying (The Lafayette Daily Advertiser; 04/24/04)

Code Of Conduct: Expedient But Secretive (Boise State Arbiter; 04/19/04)

Sexual Assault Policies Revised (The Hoya; 04/16/04)

Review of WVU DPS reveals 13 misclassified offenses (Dominion Post; 04/15/04)

Campus robbery 'shocks' Lehigh (The Express-Times; 04/13/04)

Agency to probe WVU crime labeling (Charleston Daily Mail; 04/08/04)

SOC

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