[Pages S9748-S9749]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 281--SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF ``NATIONAL
CAMPUS SAFETY AWARENESS MONTH''

Mr. SPECTER (for himself and Mr. Durbin) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

S. Res. 281

Whereas people on college and university campuses are not
immune from the potential acts of crime that the rest of
society in the United States faces;
Whereas, pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus
Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (20 U.S.C.
1092(f)), colleges and universities reported that from 2005
to 2007, 117 murders, 10,563 forcible-sex offenses, 16,632
aggravated assaults, and 3,226 cases of arson occurred on or
around college and university campuses;
Whereas criminal experts estimate that between 20 to 25
percent of female undergraduate students become victims of
rape or attempted rape;
Whereas the aggressor in a sexual assault is usually an
acquaintance or friend of the victim;
Whereas less than 5 percent of the victims of sexual
assaults report those assaults to law enforcement;
Whereas each year 13 percent of female students enrolled in
an undergraduate program at a college or university will be
victims of stalking;

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Whereas approximately 1,825 college and university students
between the ages of 18 and 24 die each year from
unintentional, alcohol-related injuries, including motor
vehicle accidents;
Whereas Security On Campus, Inc., a national nonprofit
group dedicated to promoting safety and security on college
and university campuses, has designated September as National
Campus Safety Awareness Month;
Whereas, each September since 2005, Security On Campus,
Inc. has partnered with colleges and universities across the
United States to offer educational programming on sexual
assault, alcohol and drug abuse, hazing, stalking, and other
critical campus safety issues; and
Whereas National Campus Safety Awareness Month provides an
opportunity for campus communities to become engaged in
efforts to improve campus safety: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) supports the goals and ideals of National Campus Safety
Awareness Month; and
(2) encourages colleges and universities throughout the
United States to provide campus safety and other crime
awareness and prevention programs to students throughout the
year.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I have sought recognition today to submit
a resolution supporting the goals and ideals of a National Campus
Safety Awareness Month. Educational institutions should be safe havens
where we send our children to learn and grow without fear for their
protection and wellbeing, but unfortunately this is not always the
case. On April 5, 1986, in the early morning hours, Jeanne Clery, a 19-
year-old Lehigh University student was brutally raped and murdered in
her dormitory room. This heinous crime in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
opened the nation's eyes to the true extent of crime on college and
university campuses.
When I was District Attorney of Philadelphia, I dealt with many
incidents of campus crime and I learned firsthand of its severity.
However, I believe that many would be surprised by the extent of the
problem. Colleges and universities have reported that from 2005 to
2007, 117 murders, 10,563 forcible-sex offenses, 16,632 aggravated
assaults, and 3,226 cases of arson have occurred on or around college
and university campuses. Criminal experts estimate that between 20 and
25 percent of female undergraduate students become victims of rape or
attempted rape. And each year 13 percent of female students enrolled in
an undergraduate program at a college or university are victims of
stalking. Additionally, approximately 1,825 college and university
students between the ages of 18 and 24 die each year from
unintentional, alcohol-related injuries, including motor vehicle
accidents.
Since their daughter's death, Connie Clery and her late husband
Howard worked tirelessly in their daughter's memory to protect the
lives of college students by warning them of these aforementioned
dangers. They founded Security On Campus, Inc., a national nonprofit
based in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, which is dedicated to promoting
safety and security on college and university campuses. Security On
Campus, Inc. has found that the beginning of each new school year can
be a dangerous time for students, especially for first-year students
who are in a new environment and on their own for the first time. For
this reason, Security On Campus, Inc. has designated September as
National Campus Safety Awareness Month.
Each September since 2005, Security On Campus, Inc. has partnered
with colleges and universities across the United States to offer
educational programming on critical campus safety issues. In 2008,
Security On Campus, Inc. partnered with more than 350 institutions
across the country, including 29 from Pennsylvania, to participate in
National Campus Safety Awareness Month during September. Campuses
offered a wide array of safety programming throughout the month
covering everything from the most serious issues of sexual assault and
the risks of alcohol abuse to how to protect personal property from
burglary. Additionally, Security On Campus, Inc. offers educational
videos on sexual assault, alcohol abuse, hazing and stalking that are
often integrated into NCSAM programming. Other programming includes
safety carnivals set up in high pedestrian traffic areas like student
centers or cafeterias, door hangers with safety tips in residence
halls, residence hall floor programs, fire safety presentations, Fatal
Vision goggles for DUI's, and the Rape, Abuse & Incest National
Network's Get Carded Day.
When the Clerys approached me shortly after their daughter's murder,
I worked with them to develop the Crime Awareness and Campus Security
Act of 1989, which became law in 1990. This Act was modified and
included in the Higher Education Act of 1998, as the Jeanne Clery
Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act.
Since this legislation was enacted, the issue of campus crime has
become a routine part of the college selection process, and crime
statistics are readily available on the internet so families can
compare colleges. It is clear that this legislation has had a positive
impact on college and university campus safety. In fact, the U.S.
Department of Justice reported that between 1994 and 2004 there was a 9
percent drop in violent crime on campus and a 30 percent drop in
property crime. However, it is important to remember that while the law
has significantly changed the landscape of campus security for the
better, it is evident that more work remains to be done. That is why I
continue to advocate for the goals of the National Campus Safety
Awareness Month.
Throughout the past several years, I have worked together with the
Clerys, Security On Campus, Inc., and crime prevention professionals on
campus across the country to help raise much needed awareness about
these dangers. Thus, I urge my colleagues to join me in this effort by
supporting the goals and ideals of a National Campus Safety Awareness
Month.

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