Keeping Students Safe at College: A Parents Guide

Written By Charles Leone

Sending a child off to college can be a source of great anxiety for us parents. We have spent most of our lives keeping our children safe, and now they will be college students living away from home.

I know that mentioning children might make some people cringe and roll their eyes, but as parents, we will always see them as our children.

We live in a time with so much negativity, adding fear while learning of another violent act in our country.  This information monopolizes our phones and brains every day.  Ugh!  I will do my best to help alleviate some of the anxiety by giving insightful information to parents, sending their students off to college, and keeping them safe. 

Police personnel and vehicles standing by during an Active Shooter event at Ohio State.

Police personnel and vehicles standing by during an Active Shooter event at Ohio State.

Introduction

I, too, am a parent who has had and continues to have anxious days. I will let you in on a little secret, though: I spent 36 years in the university public safety business, heading one of the most significant safety operations in the country.  

And yes, I am still anxious, but not as bad, thanks to having some knowledge to help. I want to pass that on to you and offer some relief and perhaps a better night’s sleep. All we parents want to do is keep our students safe on and off campus and wherever they go through life.

The three areas that will best inform you are:

  • The Clery Law

  • The Public Safety Website

  • Questions to ask while on the campus tour

Let’s dive in!

What is Clery?

The Clery Law can be overwhelming with the many sections and extended definitions.  The Act was created through the tireless efforts of Connie and Howard Clery, whose daughter Jeanne was raped and murdered in her residence hall room.  

The Clery Act was passed and requires colleges receiving federal student financial aid programs to report crime statistics, alert the campus to imminent dangers, and distribute an Annual Security Report to current and prospective students and employees.  

You can get more details using the following link.  The Clery Act 

Without getting too deep in the weeds, the broader topics to look for are:

  • Clery geography

  • Clery crimes

  • Policy statements

  • Crime logs

  • Annual Security Report

This information can be found on most public safety websites and within their Annual Security Report, which leads us to the next area: the public safety website.

A public safety officer patrolling on foot on campus.

A public safety officer patrolling on foot on campus.

Public Safety Website

As you click the various navigation buttons, pay close attention to the following.

  • About the department

    • Are they sworn officers, non-sworn officers, or a combination of both?

    • Accreditation 

    • Mutual aid agreements with local police departments

    • Communication sharing between the departments

  • Clery section

    • Timely warnings and alerts

    • Crime logs

    • Maps of patrol boundaries

    • Annual Security Report with crime statistics

  • Resources 

    • Risk reduction programs and training 

    • Safety app for the campus community like Live Safe and RAVE Guardian 

    • Emergency notification processes 

    • Safety Tips

    • Community engagement opportunities

    • Emergency management 

I know this seems like a lot of information, but most follow similar formats once you get on the sites.  

What should you say to the tour guides, campus representatives, or public safety professionals?

Questions to Ask

  • Will there be student housing available for all four years?

  • Does the university police/security patrol off-campus?

  • Are there transportation resources on and off campus?

  • Do you have emergency phones around campus?

  • Is there a safety app for students?

  • What is the most frequent crime reported?

  • What were the most severe crimes reported?

  • How are sexual misconduct cases investigated?

Final Thoughts

Yes, I inundated you with quite a bit of information.  If you don’t have time to research all the information, pick out those areas you are most concerned about.  These anxious times don’t require some safety insight and preparation.  

Our students are embarking on their next phase of life, and I am here to guide them.  

Safety and security are our top priorities when leaving our students on the campus doorsteps.  Don’t be anxious.  Be educated. Be prepared, and Be the loving parents you are!

What makes you most concerned about college safety?  Please let me know using the comments link below.  

Please Be Safe!

Charles Leone