CSAs are essential partners in keeping Hillsborough College safe.
The Department of Public Safety encourages the entire Hillsborough College community to report crime. However, under the Clery Act, Campus Security Authorities (CSAs) are required to report Clery Act crimes which occur on campus, in public areas bordering campus, and in certain non-campus buildings owned or leased by the College.
Who is a CSA?
Any person with the authority and duty to take action on behalf of the College with significant responsibility for student and campus activities. The Clery Act defines a CSA as any of the following categories:
- All staff of Public Safety (DPS)
- Individuals responsible for campus safety. These CSAs have security presence or access control authority on campus property, including, but not limited to, security guards, student patrol officers, any person working security at an event, and other types of access control areas.
- Officials with significant responsibility for student and campus activities. (Including, but not limited to: presidents, deans, directors, student affairs professionals, student housing staff, athletic director, assistant athletic directors, coaches, student activity coordinators, Title IX Coordinator, faculty/staff advisors to student organizations, and faculty/staff who lead college-sponsored student travel).
- Individuals or offices designated by Hillsborough College policies as those to whom crimes should be reported.
- NOT A CSA: faculty with no responsibility for students beyond the classroom, support staff (clerical, food services, maintenance, counselors, and physicians/nurses whose only responsibility is to provide care to students).
CSAs Responsibility
- Always call 911 in emergencies.
- If a CSA receives the crime information and there is little or no reason to doubt the validity of the information, the CSA must document it with DPS.
- Only Clery Act-qualifying crimes are required to be reported, but CSAs are encouraged to disclose all crimes reported to them on a timely basis to DPS.
- CSAs can fulfill their obligation by completing an online CSA report.
- CSAs should attempt to gather incident information that would provide sufficient detail to properly classify the incident.
- A report does not automatically trigger an investigation; the victim does not have to talk to DPS or law enforcement. Information about the crime must be included in the College’s crime statistics submission to the DOE and the Annual Security and Safety Report.
When do CSAs File a Report?
If a crime identified by the Clery Act occurs on the College's reportable geography, it must be included in that calendar year’s crime statistics submission to the DOE and the Annual Security and Safety Report.
When a crime is reported to a CSA, the CSA should first inquire if the complainant would like to report it to DPS. If so, contact DPS at 813.253.7911. If the CSA has firsthand knowledge and confirmation that the reporting party filed a report with DPS, then they are not obligated to complete and submit a CSA report. However, if the reporting party says they will file a report later, leaving the CSA with no firsthand knowledge and confirmation, then the CSA must submit an online CSA report.
What Gets Reported?
Three (3) questions when deciding if the incident must be reported.
- Was the crime reported to DPS where a report was completed?
- Did the crime occur in a Clery reportable geographic area?
- Is the crime a Clery reportable crime?
Geography
The Clery Act requires institutions to disclose statistics for reported crimes based on WHERE the crime occurred. Clery Act crimes must be reported (1) on-campus, (2) on public property within or immediately adjacent to the campus, and (3) in or on non-campus buildings or property that the college owns or controls.
- On-campus – Any building or property owned or controlled by an institution within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area and used by the institution in direct support of, or in a manner related to, the institution’s educational purposes.
- Public Property – All public property, including thoroughfares, streets, sidewalks, and parking facilities, that are within the campus, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus.
- Non-Campus – Any building or property owned or controlled by Hillsborough College that is used in direct support of, or in relation to, the institution’s educational purposes, is frequently used by students, and is not within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area of the institution.
Crimes
Only Clery Act-qualifying crimes are required to be reported. For complete definitions, see Definition of Clery Act Crimes.
Clery Crimes
- Murder and non-negligent manslaughter
- Manslaughter by negligence
- Sex Offenses (Rape, Fondling, Incest, or Statutory Rape)
- Robbery
- Aggravated Assault
- Burglary
- Motor Vehicle Theft
- Arson
- Domestic Violence
- Dating Violence
- Stalking
- Hazing
Hate/Bias Related Crimes
- Crime committed against a person/property motivated in whole or in part by the offender's bias.
Arrests/Referrals
- Weapon Law Violations
- Drug Law Violations
- Liquor Law Violations
Only sworn law enforcement can reclassify reports to “unfounded.” Crimes must be reported upon the knowledge of a CSA regardless of any investigation, conviction, or lack thereof.
Can a Report be Made Anonymously?
Victims or witnesses are permitted to report crimes to CSAs on a voluntary, anonymous basis. Those anonymous reports are included in the Annual Security and Safety Report.
The identity of the reporting person should only be included in the report form if they are willing to provide it.
While anonymous reports help us get accurate crime totals and allow us to inform our campus community of public safety issues, they cannot be fully investigated. If the reporting person wishes to pursue criminal charges, they will need to provide contact information so the police can conduct a latent investigation.