A Campus Security Authority (CSA) is an individual, who by virtue of their university responsibilities and under the Clery Act, is designated to receive and report criminal incidents to the Department of Public Safety so that they may be included and published in the university’s Annual Security Report. They have completed training on appropriately handling reporting crimes, victim relations and support, and related school policies.
WHO ARE THEY
Police officers, residential advisors, provosts, deans, directors, advisors, coaches, and other selected SHSU employees are CSA’s. The Clery Act defines a CSA as any of the following categories:
Any individual or organization specified in an institution’s statement of campus security policy as an individual or organization to which students and employees should report criminal offense.
An official of an institution who has significant responsibility for student and campus activities, including, but not limited to, student housing, student discipline and campus judicial proceedings.
Any individuals who have responsibility for campus security but are not members of a campus police department or a campus security department (e.g., an individual who is responsible for monitoring the entrance into institutional property, such as a security guard).
A campus police department or a campus security department of an institution, e.g. any member of SHSU’s Department of Public Safety.
CRIME REPORTING
The function of a Sam Houston State University Campus Security Authority is to report alleged crimes that they have personally received to the SHSU Police Department Chief of Police for the purposes of statistical reporting. They disclose statistics that fall under the Clery Act’s list of reportable crimes and occur within Clery geography. Clery Geography includes a 2.5 mile radius zone of SHSU-owned property as well as private and public spaces. Overhearing that a crime has occurred is not a reportable crime. It is not the duty of the CSA to investigate any crime reported to them, but simply to make the report. Campus Security Authorities fill the niche to improve accurate crime reporting for all Universities and Colleges.
Occasionally, a person may want to seek assistance anonymously. For example, if you are a victim of sexual assault and wish to seek help, medical or otherwise, without contact with law enforcement, you can confidentially report the incident to a designated CSA. Your CSA can provide you with information and resources and serve as your agent to obtain the support you need without filing a police report
CSA’s are required to use this form for crime reporting. Everyone else can report crime at shsu.edu/silentwitness.
TRAINING
The CSA Coordinator, currently a designee of the SHSU Chief of Police, works with Human Resources to assure training for all CSA’s, and is notified by HR with both the addition or deletion of a CSA, assigned training, registration of training and completion of training by SHSU Human Resources through Talent Management. Should a CSA fail to take the training in the 30-day window once the training is presented to the CSA, the CSA Coordinator is notified, and Human Resources will warn the CSA that his/her department head that the CSA has failed to complete the assigned training task. If the training is not completed within ten days, the director or other supervisor will then be notified advising that the employee CSA has not completed their training. All CSA’s have completed their training at this point in the training cycle. Training has been modified each year for CSA’s, with the addition of the CSA video provided by Clery.org for 2017 with the change in training again beginning in the Fall of 2017. Additional training is also provided by the CSA Coordinator in person to Resident Advisors or by request. Other agency law enforcement officers are personally trained at the SHSU Police Department and records of training retained at the SHSU PD.
Handbook for Campus Safety and Security Reporting 2016 Edition.
For questions, comments, or concerns, contact Kevin Morris at upd_khm@shsu.edu.