UConn Police Chief Expects Fines for Crime Reporting Violations
STORRS, Conn. — Officials at the University of Connecticut (UConn) are expecting to face a fine from the U.S. Department of Education for past crime reporting practices.
UConn Police Chief Barbara O’Connor told the university’s board of trustees Wednesday that during her own internal review of school procedures, she discovered problems in how data has been collected and reported, the Associated Press reports.
She noted that although UConn did its best to comply with the Clery Act, problems occurred because of issues involving the training of security staff. Additionally, she said staff members failed to create a paper trail to prove it had collected required data.
Throughout her investigation, O’Connor also found that UConn’s annual safety report lacked key information about text and E-mail warnings that must be sent out to the campus community in the event of an emergency.
Since O’Connor’s hiring in 2012, the university has addressed the issues with policy changes, including hiring a compliance officer.
It is unclear how much of a fine the university will face; however, O’Connor said the recent policy changes should help negotiate a reduced fine.
Related Articles:
- OCR Investigates UConn for Alleged Title IX Violations
- Your Clery Compliance Cheat Sheet
- Clery Act and Title IX Compliance Resources for Colleges
- Lack of Training, Policies Prevent Clery, Title IX Compliance
- April 2011 ‘Dear Colleague’ Letter on Sex Crime Protocol
- How to Comply With the Dept. of Ed’s Title IX Sexual Violence Guidance
- How to Investigate Campus Sexual Assaults
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