Campus Security and Crime Statistics (IV.A.2)

Volume IV: Facilities and Safety
Chapter A: Safety
Responsible Executive: Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
Responsible Office: Office of the Vice President for Physical Facilities and Chief Public Safety Officer
Date Issued: January 31, 2000
Date Last Revised: June 1, 2025

Contacts
Statement of Policy
Reason for This Policy
Individuals and Entities Affected
Exclusions
Responsibilities
Definitions (defined terms are capitalized throughout the document)
Related Documents, Forms and Tools
Website Address for This Policy
History and Updates
Appendix

Contacts

Policy Clarification

Chief Public Safety Officer
765-494-8009 | adminops@purdue.edu

Request a Copy of a Campus Annual Security Report

Fort Wayne: Fort Wayne Campus Police Department
260-481-6827 | police@pfw.edu

Indianapolis: West Lafayette Campus Police Department
765-494-8221 | police@purdue.edu

Northwest (Hammond and Westville): Northwest Campus Police Department
219-989-2222 | police@pnw.edu

Purdue Polytechnic Institutes: West Lafayette Campus Police Department
765-494-8221 | police@purdue.edu

West Lafayette: West Lafayette Campus Police Department
765-494-8221 | police@purdue.edu

Statement of Policy

Purdue University strives to provide a safe and secure Campus environment to students, faculty, staff and visitors. To promote the safety and security of our University community, the University has developed and supports numerous programs and activities relating to crime awareness, education and prevention. Additionally, the University’s policies and procedures prohibit violence in the workplace (Violent Behavior (IV.A.3)), drugs and alcohol in the workplace and on Campus (Substance-Free Campus and Workplace (IV.A.9)), and possessing or storing firearms or other weapons in University facilities (Use of Facilities (IV.B.1)). The University also maintains a professionally trained police force at each of its Campuses (Fort Wayne, Northwest and West Lafayette).

In accordance with the University’s obligations under the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act (Clery Act) and the Higher Education Opportunity Act and to ensure an informed university community, each of Purdue’s Campuses publishes an Annual Security Report, a Campus Hazing Transparency Report and, as applicable, an Annual Fire Safety Report. The University provides training to Campus Security Authorities and maintains Operating Procedures for Gathering and Reporting Crime Statistics that enhance compliance with the Clery Act and the Higher Education Opportunity Act.

Reason for This Policy

To make Campuses safer by ensuring that students, Prospective Students, employees, Prospective Employees and visitors are informed about Campus safety and security. To comply with federal laws regarding Campus safety, including the Clery Act and the Higher Education Opportunity Act.

Individuals and Entities Affected

All University community members
Prospective Students
Prospective Employees

Exclusions

There are no exclusions to this policy.

Responsibilities

Office of the Vice President for Ethics and Compliance (VPEC)

Provide guidance for the development, dissemination, administration and update of procedures to comply with the Clery Act and the Higher Education Opportunity Act.
Identify and annually train Campus Security Authorities.
Maintain a database of current Campus Security Authorities.

Chief Public Safety Officer and Vice Chancellors Responsible for Campus Security (or their designees)

Oversee the administration of this policy on their Campuses.

Senior Clery Compliance Administrator

Maintain and disseminate procedures to comply with the Clery Act and the Higher Education Opportunity Act in consultation with the Office of the VPEC and the West Lafayette Chief of Police.
Prepare, publish and distribute the Annual Security Report and, as applicable, Annual Fire Safety Report as outlined in the operating procedures.
Submit required statistics to the U.S. Secretary of Education.
Coordinate with directors of Separate Campuses to ensure compliance with all reporting requirements.

University Chiefs of Police (or their designees)

Review for approval the monthly and annual statistics required by the Clery Act.
In cooperation with the Office of Legal Counsel and the campus marketing department, send emergency notifications and timely warnings as necessary.

University Police

Send alerts as directed by the Chief of Police or Director of Public Safety.
Prepare and maintain a daily crime log for the most recent seven years and make the crime log available to the public upon request.

Purdue Fire Department (West Lafayette) and Chiefs of Police (Regional Campuses), or Designees

Record and gather fire safety statistics that must be reported in the Annual Fire Safety Report.
Prepare and maintain a daily fire log for the most recent seven years and make the fire log available to the public upon request.

Director of Emergency Planning and Preparedness (West Lafayette), Emergency Preparedness Specialist (Fort Wayne), and Director of Public Safety (Northwest)

Schedule regular Tests to assess and evaluate emergency plans, systems and capabilities on their campus.
Maintain emergency management plans and building emergency plans for their campus.

Offices of the Dean of Students

Maintain a campus-wide hazing prevention and awareness program.
Publish and maintain a Campus Hazing Transparency Report.

Definitions

All defined terms are capitalized throughout the document. Additional defined terms may be found in the central Policy Glossary. Some terms may only be used in the associated Operating Procedures for Gathering and Reporting Crime Statistics.

Campus
Any building or property owned or controlled by the University within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area of the University and used by the University in direct support of, or in a manner related to, the University’s educational purposes, including residence halls; and property within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area of the University that is owned by the University but controlled by another person, is used by students and supports institutional purposes (such as a food or other retail vendor).

Campus Security Authority
A Campus law enforcement unit; any individual or individuals who have responsibility for campus security but who do not constitute a University Police department or a Campus security department; any individual or organization specified in the University’s statement of Campus security policy as the individual or organization to whom students and employees should report criminal offenses; and an official of the University, who has significant responsibility for student and Campus activities, but does not have significant counseling responsibilities.

Non-Campus Building or Property
Any building or property owned or controlled by the University that is used in direct support of, or in relation to, the University’s educational purposes, is frequently used by students and is not within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area of the University; and any building or property owned or controlled by a student organization recognized by the University.

Prospective Employee
An individual who has contacted the University for the purpose of requesting information concerning employment with that institution.

Prospective Student
An individual who has contacted the University requesting information concerning admission to that institution.

Public Property
All public property that is within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area of the University, such as a sidewalk, a street, other thoroughfare or parking facility, or is adjacent to a facility owned or controlled by the University if the facility is used by the University in direct support of, or in a manner related to, the University’s educational purposes.

Separate Campus
A facility that is owned or controlled by the University, but is not reasonably contiguous with the main campus, has an organized program of students and has at least one administrator.

Test
Regularly scheduled drills, exercises and appropriate follow-through activities designed for assessment and evaluation of emergency plans and capabilities.

Website Address for This Policy

www.purdue.edu/vpec/policies/facilities-safety/iva2

History and Updates

June 1, 2025: Added responsibilities for Campus Hazing Transparency Reports and removed definitions that do not differ from statute or regulation. Updated list of related policies.

September 1, 2024: References to related policies updated throughout. Responsibilities updated to reflect organizational changes.

August 23, 2017: Contacts section updated; added the word “security” in references to the “annual security report.”

January 29, 2015: Policy revised to comply with changes in federal legislation. Updates to the policy include 1) a definition for Separate Campus, 2) responsibilities for directors of Separate Campuses, 3) stated responsibilities for conducting Tests and issuing emergency notifications and timely warnings, 4) responsibilities for the Office of the VPEC and 5) the conversion of the policy to the current template, which separates the procedures from the policy.

November 18, 2011: Policy number changed to IV.A.2 (formerly I.2.2) and website address updated. Links to other policies also updated throughout.

July 1, 2010: This policy supersedes Executive Memorandum No. C-49, Campus Crime Statistics and Security Policy and Procedure, dated January 31, 2000.

Appendix

There are no appendices to this policy.