By DONOVAN HARRELL
The Office of Policy Development and Management is working on an update to Pitt’s Campus Crime Awareness Policy that aims to improve communications about campus crimes and resources for emergencies.
Kathy Buccigrossi, Clery Act compliance officer and chair of the Campus Crime Awareness Policy committee, said the proposed changes would make sure the policy is consistent with the University’s communication procedures. The Clery Act is a federal statute requiring colleges and universities participating in federal financial aid programs to maintain and disclose campus crime statistics and security information. Pitt recently released its Clery Act statistics for 2020.
This policy update also would make sure campus crime communications include more information about the reporting and alerting processes, she added.
The Office of Public Safety and Emergency Management, working with the committee, proposed several changes, including:
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Updated distribution methods for alert through emails, texts and social media and more information on how to register to receive these alerts.
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Details on where to find compiled crime information, such as the fire and daily crime logs.
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More information on how to report crimes and emergencies and contact information.
Public comments will be gathered until Oct. 18 through the Office of Policy Development and Management website.
“Campus crime awareness is an important component of the University’s safety plan to ensure Pitt students, faculty and staff remain aware, informed and take action where needed,” Buccigrossi said. “The proposed policy enhancements will further strengthen our communication and outreach efforts while supporting transparency and students, staff and faculty working together to support a safe campus community.”
After the public comment period closes, the draft policy will come before the Senate’s Plant Utilization and Planning and the Student Admissions, Aid and Affairs committees for review.
Buccigrossi hopes to have the review process completed by the end of the fall semester.
Donovan Harrell is a writer for the University Times. Reach him at dharrell@pitt.edu or 412-383-9905.
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