According to Chief of Campus Police John Carter, all of the statistics listed in the report were gathered from Campus Police, the town of Amherst, the Dean of Students Office and Health Services. In addition, letters asking for notification of unreported crimes are sent to deans, directors and department heads.
The overall trends in the report are excellent. Most notably, there was a decrease to five forcible sex offenses in 2004, down from 10 in 2003. Incidents of aggravated assault have also decreased, from four in 2002 to only one in 2004. In the past three years, there have been no incidents of negligent manslaughter, murder and non negligent manslaughter, motor vehicle theft or robbery. However, last year there were 21 reported burglaries and 69 reported larcenies.
The number of crimes that occur at the College indicates that the campus is much safer than many colleges in the U.S. "Amherst College is a reasonably safe place," said Carter. "No place is immune to crime, but violent crime is particularly rare here."
President Anthony Marx agreed with Carter's view. "We are fortunate to be in a location that is remarkably safe compared to many places, but that doesn't mean we should be complacent about it," he said.
School officials have taken many preventative steps to ensure such safety on campus. "In addition to having a proprietary full time police department, the College takes advantage of advanced technology in access control to the buildings, fire alarm and suppression and intrusion alarms," said Carter.
Carter added that the key to safety is to educate the community. "[The] greatest tool that we use in managing safety in the community is the relationships within the community," he said. "An educated community is much better prepared to avoid being a victim of crime."
Consequently, Campus Police works with various departments and student groups to maximize campus safety. "The police partner with the Dean of Students office, Physical Plant and Health Services, as well as student groups, to ensure that we are always part of conversations about community safety," said Carter. "We work extensively with student groups such as student security, ACEMS, residence counselors, etc."
In addition, the College is open to the participation of all individuals in improving campus safety. "We're always hoping to hear student views or suggestions on how to ensure the security of everyone at Amherst," said Marx.
Overall, students can be assured that the College constantly works to maintain the campus safety. "The administration is well-informed on issues of safety on campus and has taken all the appropriate measures to provide a safety and security program that meets or exceeds the standards of the industry," said Carter. "I strongly feel that we have complete buy-in from the administration and every effort is made to make Amherst a safe place."
The Disclosures Act was passed in 1990 under the name "Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act" after Jeanne Ann Clery, a 19-year-old student at Lehigh University, was raped and murdered while asleep in her dorm room. After Clery's parents learned that 38 previous violent crimes had previously occurred at the school, they, along with other campus crime victims, pushed for this law in Congress.