Savannah College of Art and Design Accused Of Improper Campus Crime Reporting

Savannah, GA-The Savannah College of Art and Design was accused this week of improperly reporting campus crime information.

A complaint filed by Security On Campus, Inc., a nonprofit watchdog organization, with the U.S. Department of Education alleges that the school, located in Savannah’s historic downtown, doesn’t have a readily available public crime log, has improperly reported campus crime statistics, and has failed to include certain required security policies in an annual report required by federal law. The federal Jeanne Clery Act requires all colleges and universities to disclose basic campus security information to students and employees.

“Several members of the campus community have come to us with concerns that students aren’t being adequately warned about the crimes happening on the Savannah College of Art and Design campus and in the public property areas surrounding the campus,” explained S. Daniel Carter of Security On Campus, Inc. “We filed this complaint to ensure that students are getting all of the information they are entitled to under federal law so that they can make informed decisions about avoiding criminal victimization.”

The primary focus of the complaint is determining the extent of the College’s obligation to report crimes that occur on city streets and sidewalks running between campus buildings. The Clery Act requires schools to gather information about and report on crimes that happen on public property either within or immediately adjacent to their campus.

“Numerous students have been victimized in these areas,” added Carter. “Students deserve to be warned about these risks, and we want to ensure that the Savannah College of Art and Design is reporting everything required by law.”

The complaint also alleges that a public crime log is not readily available, that crime statistics are not clearly broken down by geographic areas (campus, public property, non-campus, and student housing on-campus), that homicide statistics aren’t properly broken down by required subcategories, and that four required security policy statements were omitted from the school’s 2001-2002 annual security report. The missing statements address important issues such as what method the college uses to issue timely warnings about reported crimes that pose an ongoing threat, how the crime statistics are compiled, what crime prevention programs are available, and what basic rights campus sexual assault victims are accorded.

The complaint was filed on Thursday afternoon with the U.S. Department of Education’s regional office in Atlanta.

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For Immediate Release September 27, 2002