Campus Law Enforcement Research Articles

Review the top 7 things to know right now about campus security

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS — With the nation's eye increasingly on how reports of sexual violence are handled on campus and steep fines being levied on institutions that are not up‐to‐date on mandated safety requirements, academic administrators can't afford to be out of the loop on the latest news about and innovations in campus security. At the recent American Association of Community Colleges annual conference, Kim Vansell, director of the National Center for Campus Public Safety; and Terry McCauley, public safety director of Oakland Community College and representative for the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators, covered the most immediate concerns facing campus security officials and gave suggestions for campuswide implementation policies to improve campus security. The seven topics below comprise the most important campus security concerns or innovations higher education institutions face today. Consider whether your school should be taking additional steps to address them.

Rape Myth Adherence Among Campus Law Enforcement Officers

Campus police agencies are often the first, if not only, responders to sexual assault incidents occurring on college campuses. Little is known, however, regarding the attitudinal dispositions of these officers, specifically their acceptance of rape myths and the effect this has on case processing. The current study addresses this gap in the literature by examining attitudes toward and perceptions of sexual assault among a sample of campus law enforcement officers in Texas. This was done through the administration of a short survey to a sample of campus law enforcement officers prior to their attendance at a sexual assault-focused training, as well as all campus police chiefs via the Internet. Survey items inquired about officers’ careers in law enforcement, contact with victims, and perceptions of sexual assault. Results suggest that officers’ adherence to rape myths is strongly related to their perceptions of campus sexual assault incidents and their attitudes toward victims. Suggestions for future research and policy are offered.

Serve your growing population of students with ASD

NASHVILLE, TENN. — The number of college students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder is growing nationwide. That means you and members of your campus safety unit need to understand this disability and be ready to work with students who have it, said Matt Brown. He spoke at the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators annual conference. Brown worked at Landmark College, which is exclusively for students with diagnosed learning disabilities, for six years. He recently became a police officer at Mount Holyoke College.

Learn practical tips for collaborating with student affairs to tackle Title IX issues

The most recently updated regulations for the Clery Act (released Oct. 20, 2014) require colleges and universities to describe any formal memorandums of understanding that may exist between campus law enforcement and local law enforcement.

Review DOJ statistics about campus law enforcement

A statistical overview of campus law enforcement could help you benchmark your unit's practices. The U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics has released a report that provides statistics that describe law enforcement during the 2011–12 academic year at the more than 900 U.S. four‐year colleges and universities with 2,500 or more students.

Focus on cultivating relationships leads to campus safety improvements

After serving as an officer in the Columbus Police Department for 29 years, Craig A. Stone was ready for something different. Having worked with The Ohio State University's campus safety team during football games, he was drawn to campus law enforcement.

Learn practical tips for collaborating with campus safety to tackle Title IX issues

The most recently updated regulations for the Clery Act (released Oct. 20, 2014) require colleges and universities to describe any formal memorandums of understanding that may exist between campus law enforcement and local law enforcement.

College law enforcement and security department responses to alcohol-related incidents: a national study.

Campus police and security personnel are often the first to respond to alcohol-related incidents on campus. The purpose of this study is to examine how campus law enforcement and security respond to alcohol-related incidents, and how consequences and communication differ based on characteristics of the incident. Directors of campus police/security from 343 colleges across the United States completed a survey regarding usual practice following serious, underage, and less serious alcohol incidents on and off campus. Campus law enforcement and security most commonly reported contacting campus officials. A minority reported issuing citations and referring students to the health center. Enforcement actions were more commonly reported for serious and underage incidents than for less serious incidents. Large (vs. small) colleges, public (vs. private) colleges, and those located in small (vs. large) towns more consistently reported taking actions against drinkers. Understanding how campus police and security respond to alcohol-related incidents is essential for reducing alcohol-related problems on college campuses.

The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Model for Law Enforcement: Creative Considerations for Enhancing University Campus Police Response to Mental Health Crisis

Abstract Purpose of the article American university and college campus law enforcement, like their peers in American munipal law enforcement agencies, find themselves interacting frequently with civilians experiencing mental health disturbances. An innovative model for law enforcement, the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model, has been developed to address the difficulties law enforcement professionals and civilians in mental health crisis face during encounters. (Margolis & Shtull, 2012) This article explores how CIT can enhance police response to mental health crisis on the college campus. Methodology/methods Methods of applied research were conducted, borrowing from a benchmarking model and including interviews with multiple key informants representing law enforcement and mental health. Informants were affiliated with three universities and multiple municipal jurisdictions in Virginia, USA. Scientific goal The goal was to assess the relevance of CIT on the college campus and explore creative approaches to enhancing campus police response to mental health crisis. Findings The results supported the scholarly literature regarding the efficacy of the CIT model. Creative adaptations to the CIT model for campus possibly can be implemented to address concerns of mental health crisis on campus. Conclusions CIT is a highly innovative model requiring extensive collaboration between law enforcement, mental health agencies, and mental health advocates. As standard qualitative research was not conducted, the sample size of key informants may not have reached saturation. However, findings from the interviews support the body of literature on CIT. The implementation of CIT on the college campus could possibly help to alleviate difficulties on campus arising from mental health crisis, including reducing inappropriate arrest or disciplinary action, improving campus safety, addressing concerns related to threat assessment and management, and enhancing collaborative efforts on campus and with resources in the broader community.

Penn State Scandal Draws Attention to Child Sexual Abuse

Penn State Scandal Draws Attention to Child Sexual Abuse

Enforcing Alcohol Policies on College Campuses: Reports from College Enforcement Officials

We assessed alcohol enforcement practices at 343 U.S. colleges via surveys of directors of campus law enforcement. We measured types and frequency of enforcement and barriers to enforcement. We found that 61% of colleges indicated nearly always proactively enforcing alcohol policies, with most frequent enforcement at intercollegiate sporting events and least frequent enforcement at fraternity/sorority events. Approximately half of the enforcement departments work closely with their local law enforcement agency but respondents indicated a greater need for cooperation with local law enforcement. Half of the respondents reported no barriers to alcohol enforcement on campus. Large colleges and public colleges tended to report greater enforcement levels. While many campuses report proactive alcohol enforcement, several areas of improvement in alcohol enforcement at colleges are indicated.

Library Safety and Security—Campus/Community Police Collaboration

While police departments large and small across the United States battle crime, funding for police resources is dwindling. Collaboration of resources and combined educational and training initiatives are widely accepted means of providing a high degree of public safety, thereby assuring a sound quality of life. This article cites examples of collaboration between campus law enforcement agencies and those external agencies that work regularly with campus police. The article focuses on issues specific to universities and collaborative opportunities to make campuses safer through the efforts of joint police strategies.

Campus Law Enforcement Use-of-Force and Conducted Energy Devices

Although many police departments throughout the nation have been quick to incorporate the use of conducted energy devices (CEDs) within their use-of-force policies, the use of these devices on college campuses has been relatively unexamined in the literature. This article addresses campus police agency decisions regarding CEDs as a less-than-lethal force alternative. This study utilized a stratified random sample of public 4-year universities and colleges throughout the United States. Respondents answered questions pertaining to multiple variables, such as political pressure, public opinion, officer safety, liability, and funding, as factors considered when deciding whether to acquire CEDs. The results suggest that a majority of the public institutions surveyed have not acquired CEDs due to public opinion. Furthermore, the results reveal that for institutions that have issued CEDs their acquisition can be attributed to the campus law enforcement agency's concern for officer safety. Suggestions for future research are discussed.

Campus Policing in America

This article compares the findings of a 2006 national survey of campus police agencies with one of 1986. Respondents were queried about agency titles; reporting lines; administrators' experience, education, tenure, and diversity; agency powers, jurisdiction, rank, training, activities/responsibilities, and relations with local police agencies; and involvement in disaster planning and terrorism readiness. It is concluded that considerable evolution has occurred over the past two decades; whereas constituencies, mission, and duties may differ, campus law enforcement agencies are part of and connected to the broader local law enforcement community and represent an essential component of postsecondary educational institutions.

The Clery Act and Its Influence on Campus Law Enforcement Practices

Three hundred seventy-one members of the International Association of College Law Enforcement Administrators responded to a questionnaire designed to measure the influence of the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act on campus law enforcement practices. The majority of respondents credit the Act with improving crime reporting practices, and some law enforcement officers credit the Act with improving the quality of some programs and services. Most, however, do not think the Act has done much to reduce campus crime or to change student behavior.

Variability in the organizational structure of contemporary campus law enforcement agencies

Descriptive analyses of campus police agencies reveal that agencies’ tactical and operational features are similar to those found in municipal agencies. The problem is that none of these studies have examined, using multivariate models, the structural characteristics of these organizations. Using LEMAS data collected in 1995, this study answered two main questions: what are the organizational characteristics of campus police agencies; and what factors, both internal and external, explain variation in the structural dimensions of the agencies. The results indicated that campus police agencies possess the same structural characteristics of municipal police agencies identified by 40 years of police organizational research, and internal agency characteristics were most important in explaining variation in the organizations’ structural dimensions. The degree to which campus agencies have adopted organizational structures that are similar to those of municipal police is discussed and framed within an institutional perspective.

The Clery Act and Its Influence on Campus Law Enforcement Practices

Three hundred seventy-one members of the International Association of College Law Enforcement Administrators responded to a questionnaire designed to measure the influence of the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act on campus law enforcement practices. The majority of respondents credit the Act with improving crime reporting practices, and some law enforcement officers credit the Act with improving the quality of some programs and services. Most, however, do not think the Act has done much to reduce campus crime or to change student behavior.

Arming the campus cops: a descriptive and multivariate assessment of support

The general characteristics of crimes occurring on American college and university campuses have changed, reflecting a much greater frequency and variety of criminal activities. Therefore, many campus police departments are considering alternative mechanisms aimed at crime control and diminishing the fear levels of constituents. While most municipal police agencies routinely arm themselves, traditionally, armed police forces have been uncharacteristic of campus law enforcement, especially at smaller, rural and suburban schools. The present research assesses campus constituency support and rationale for arming the police force at one university. Constituent status, gender, fear of crime, outcome of contact with an officer, and political ideology are among the variables discussed in relation to this contemporary issue.

Analyzing Campus Crime And Police Resources: Implications For Policy-Makers*

Today, college faculty, students, administrators and legislators have become increasingly concerned about the frequency and magnitude of crimes occurring within the campus setting. In many states campus law enforcement departments provide general police services and are the direct link to the criminal justice system. This paper describes the systematic collection and analysis of comparative data regarding campus crime rates and police resources in one of the nation's largest state university systems. Policy and decision-making implications derived from the data analysis process are identified.

Professionalism and campus police officers

Survey research was conducted to examine the effects of education, perceptions of community attitudes, and career commitment upon overall job satisfaction of campus law enforcement officers in North Carolina. Thirteen (13) campus departments participated in the 1984 study. Findings revealed both significant and insignificant relationships. The attained level of post-secondary education was not significantly related to an officer’s perception of having his/her authority questioned, nor was education related to an officer’s feeling of boredom with the job. However, significant relationships were found between several variables including an officer’s willingness to recommend the job to another person and his/her perceptions of community attitudes and the rank of the officer and his/her commitment to the current position.(1)