The Clery Act

History & Context

In April 1986,  Jeanne Clery’s life tragically ended when another student raped and murdered her in her residence hall room. Alarmed at the lack of transparency around crime and violence on college campuses, Jeanne Clery's parents, Connie and Howard Clery, committed themselves to create enduring change. In 1990, Congress approved the  Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act).

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The Clery Act requires that colleges and universities:

• Keep a public crime log
• Publish an annual security report that includes crime statistics and security policies
• Provide timely warnings to students and campus employees about a crime posing an immediate or ongoing threat to students and campus employees
• Ensure certain basic rights for victims of sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking

The U.S. Department of Education enforces the Clery Act, and is responsible for collecting and disseminating crime statistics from colleges and universities each year.