[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 135 (Wednesday, September 23, 2009)]
[Senate]
[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;

[[Page S9749]]

       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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