On Sept. 30, the “Ramapo College Annual Security & Fire Safety Report” for 2022 became available. According to the email informing students of the report’s publication, each year the Department of Public Safety is required to disclose “information regarding campus safety and security in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act); Section 485(f) of the Higher Education Act of 1965; and the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).”
The Clery Team, consisting of 13 Ramapo staff members, assembled the report and received additional support from the Office of Marketing and Communications. It contains statistics from the 2019, 2020 and 2021 school years on topics such as crimes and fires. It also offers general information on policies and procedures for various emergencies.
According to the report, “Ramapo College is required to comply with the fire safety provisions in the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA).” This mandates all Title IV institutions to maintain a fire log, report fire statistics to the Secretary of Education and publish an annual fire safety report.
The fire log from 2021 recorded two incidents, an increase from zero in 2020, likely due to changes in pandemic-related restrictions. On Oct. 28, 2021, a resident of the Overlook left a pressure cooker unattended on the stove, causing a small fire that was “contained to the stovetop.” The date of the second incident remains unknown, but on April 20, 2021, “burn marks [were] found on combustible vinyl siding outside [the] entrance vestibule” of one of the College Park Apartments. The property damage was reported as intentional and valued between $100 and $999.
Ramapo prohibits domestic violence, dating violence and stalking as defined by the federal Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and amended by the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA).
Campus safety crime statistics from 2021 recorded four counts of rape in on-campus student housing facilities. There were two counts of fondling, one VAWA Offense for dating violence and two VAWA Offenses for domestic violence, all of which occurred on campus.
An additional note listed one hate crime — categorized as “Simple Assault Intimidation Bias” — reported in 2021 and no unfounded Clery Crimes.
2021 campus safety crime statistics unrelated to the Clery Act included one motor vehicle theft documented on campus and another on public property. One arrest was made on campus for drug abuse violations, and another was made on public property. Five disciplinary actions for drug abuse violations and 87 for liquor law violations in on-campus student housing occurred.
The report encouraged members of the Ramapo community “to accurately and promptly report crime and emergencies to the Department of Public Safety and appropriate Law Enforcement agencies, including when the victim of a crime elects to or is unable to make such report.” A victim of a crime who does not want to pursue judicial actions is invited to make a confidential report. The only instance where the victim’s identity would still be recorded is if a sex offense or sexual harassment is reported to the Title IX Coordinator.
The 2021 report is available for viewing online. The Clery Act also mandates that Ramapo maintains a “Public Crime Log” covering all incidents within the past 60 days and that it be “available for public viewing” at all times. Anyone who requests to view information beyond that time period will be provided access within two business days. For more information, contact Public Safety at 201-684-6666.
dbongiov@ramapo.edu
Photo by Lydia Fries.
