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CLERY

What is the Clery Act?

The Jeanne Clery Act Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act is a federal law that promotes campus safety by ensuring that students, employees, parents, and the broader community are informed about important public safety and crime prevention matters. Being informed enables community members to make informed decisions and take an active role in their own safety and security.

The Clery Act requires higher educational institutions that receive federal funds to:

  • Disclose accurate and complete crime statistics for specified types of incidents that are reported to designated university officials who are Campus Security Authorities (CSAs) and local law enforcement as having occurred on or near the campus.
  • Disclose campus safety policies and procedures that specifically address topics such as sexual assault prevention, drug and alcohol abuse prevention, and emergency response and evacuation.
  • Advise the community about specific crimes and other threats to health and safety that are thought to pose either an ongoing or an immediate threat.

Where Can I Learn More?

The annual Safety, Security, and Fire Report contains a wealth of safety and security information including safety and security policies, information about the role of Campus Security Authorities (CSAs), how the community is informed about potential threats, and three years of crime statistics. The report for Golden West College can be found here:

Annual Security Report

What is a Timely Warning?

The Clery Act requires institutions to issue Timely Warnings to the campus community about specified crimes (the Clery-reportable crimes) that occur on Clery geography when these crimes are considered to pose a serious or ongoing threat to students and employees. In the event there is an incident that is neither a Clery-reportable crime or an incident that requires an Emergency Notification, the college may, on a case-by-case basis, use the ReGroup system to send a notification (e.g., power failure).

What is an Emergency Notification?

An Emergency Notification is sent upon the confirmation of a significant emergency or dangerous situation involving an immediate threat to the health or safety of students or staff occurring on the campus, unless issuing a notification will compromise efforts to contain the emergency. An Emergency Notification is similar to a Timely Warning with some slight differences as noted in the table below.

What are the differences between a Timely Warning and an Emergency Notification?

Emergency Notification
Timely Warning Emergency Notification
Recipients The entire campus The entire campus, or an identified subset that may be impacted by the emergency
Triggering incident Clery-reportable crimes believed to present a serious or continuing threat to the community Any situation thought to pose an immediate threat to the health and safety of the campus community
Timeline for sending a message As soon as pertinent information is available As soon as first responders confirm a significant emergency or dangerous situation
Follow-up message required? No Yes

Who decides when to issue a Timely Warning or an Emergency Notification?

Authorized persons include: the college President (or designee), Vice President of Administrative Services, Director of Public Safety, Public Information Officer, District Emergency Manager.

How is “Timely” Defined?

There is no specific time frame that determines how recent an incident must be to warrant a Timely Warning, or how quickly the resulting ReGroup message must be sent. The most common reason for a delayed notification is because the crime was not immediately reported to Golden West College Public Safety, or a Campus Security Authority (CSA).

What are Clery-reportable Crimes?

  • Murder/Manslaughter
  • Robbery
  • Aggravated Assault
  • Burglary
  • Vehicle Theft
  • Arson
  • Rap
  • Incest
  • Fondling
  • Domestic Violence
  • Dating Violence
  • Stalking
  • Hate Crimes
  • Alcohol law violations
  • Drug law violations
  • Weapons law violations

The definitions for these crimes can be found in the Annual Safety, Security and Fire Report:

Clery Annual Security Report

For more information regarding the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) crimes: domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking, please visit the Golden West College Title IX webpage: Title IX

What is Clery geography?

Defining the college Clery geography can be complex. Clery geography includes the following locations:

  • On-campus (e.g., the main college campus)
  • Public property located within the main campus or immediately adjacent to it.
  • Non-campus buildings or property, that the college owns or controls, that support the academic mission of the campus and are used by students.

For more information about CLERY, please visit the Clery Act website:

Clery Center

Daily Crime Log

The Clery Act also requires colleges to maintain a Daily Crime Log that includes all crimes brought to the attention of a Campus Security Authority (CSA) or the Public Safety Department. The crime must be updated within two business days of the crime being reported. Golden West College keeps a hard copy of the daily crime log from the past 60 days in our office which can be viewed during regular business hours. The Daily Crime Log is now online and can be viewed down below:

Crime Log Instructions

Crime log case numbers do not run sequentially. Public Safety assigns a case number for all reportable activities, both criminal and non-criminal. Only case numbers generated for criminal activity are listed in the crime log.

Crimes are listed in chronological order based upon the date they are reported to Public Safety. The most recent crimes are at the bottom of the list.</p

The crime log classification will not normally match the crime statistics, as the crime log is compiled using the California Penal Code and the crime statistics are required by law to be compiled using the definitions and standards proscribed by the Clery Act.

Hard copies of the Daily Crime Log are also available at Golden West College’s Public Safety Office at 15744 Goldenwest Street, Huntington Beach, CA 92647 (located in the Southwest Corner of the campus next to Nursing & Health Services between Goldenwest Street and Edinger Avenue) during normal business hours.

Note: Incidents with a case number that start with “HBPD” involve crimes reported directly to the Huntington Beach Police Department, but not to Public Safety. Because an official report was not filed with Public Safety, the disposition will be “Closed/Referred to Other Agency/Department” or “Closed. Reported to GWC by the Huntington Beach Police Department.” These incidents are reported to the Public Safety for statistical purposes and are posted to the Crime Log as the information is received by Public Safety.

All Daily Crime Log entries will be made within two business days of the report of the information unless the disclosure is prohibited by law or would jeopardize the confidentiality of the victim.

Additionally, and consistent with Federal law, any of the required fields that must appear on the Daily Crime Log (i.e., the nature, date, time, location, and/or disposition) may be temporarily withheld only when there is clear and convincing evidence that the release of the information would:

  • jeopardize an ongoing criminal investigation;
  • jeopardize the safety of an individual;
  • cause a suspect to flee or evade detection; or
  • result in the destruction of evidence.

Should such information be withheld, it will be promptly added to the log once the adverse effect is no longer present.

Crime Log Disposition Definitions

The following is an explanation of the terminology used to complete the Disposition section of Golden West College’s Public Safety Crime Log:

  • Closed. Referred to Appropriate Department: The case was referred to the appropriate supervisor or to the Office of Human Resources. The recipient will review the case and determine if disciplinary action will be initiated.
  • Closed. CSA Report: The incident was reported to public safety by a campus security authority (CSA) for Clery reporting purposes. No further investigative or responsive action will be taken by public safety in response to this report.
  • Closed. Referred to the Huntington Beach Police Department: The case has been referred to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department for review and appropriate action.
  • Closed. Reported to GWC by the California Highway Patrol: The case was reported to the institution by this agency, typically as a result of an annual request for crime statistics within GWC’s Clery Geography (on-campus, public property, and noncampus locations). These incidents were first reported to the reporting law enforcement agency and no further action will be required from public safety personnel in response to this report.
  • Closed. Reported to CCC by the Costa Mesa Police Department: The case was reported to the institution by this agency, typically as a result of an annual request for crime statistics within CCC’s Clery Geography (on-campus, public property, and noncampus locations). These incidents were first reported to the reporting law enforcement agency and no further action will be required from public safety personnel in response to this report.
  • Closed. Reported to GWC by the Huntington Beach Police Department: The case was reported to the institution by this agency, typically as a result of an annual request for crime statistics within GWC’s Clery Geography (on-campus, public property, and noncampus locations). These incidents were first reported to the reporting law enforcement agency and no further action will be required from public safety personnel in response to this report.
  • Closed. Reported to GWC by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department: The case was reported to the institution by this agency, typically as a result of an annual request for crime statistics within GWC’s Clery Geography (on-campus, public property, and noncampus locations). These incidents were first reported to the reporting law enforcement agency and no further action will be required from public safety personnel in response to this report.
  • Closed. Reported to GWC by the Westminster Police Department: The case was reported to the institution by this agency, typically as a result of an annual request for crime statistics within GWC’s Clery Geography (on-campus, public property, and noncampus locations). These incidents were first reported to the reporting law enforcement agency and no further action will be required from public safety personnel in response to this report.
  • Closed. Referred to the Dean of Students Office: The case has been forwarded to the Dean of Students Office. That office is responsible for reviewing the case
  • and for determining whether the student(s) involved will be charged with violating the Student Code of Conduct.
  • Closed. Referred to the Title IX Coordinator: The report has been forwarded to the Title IX Coordinator. That coordinator is responsible for reviewing the case and for determining whether or not a Title IX Investigation is warranted and/or whether any other action will be taken to resolve the case.
  • Closed. Subject Arrested: The subject(s) has been cited or arrested by the appropriate local law enforcement agency.
  • Closed. Classification Updated: The original incident report classification has been changed to accurately reflect the appropriate classification, based on the results of GWC receiving additional information. Note: When updating the Disposition, ensure the disposition identifies the original crime classification. For example: “Closed: Classification updated from Simple Assault to Aggravated Assault.”
  • Closed. Unfounded by Local Law Enforcement: The case was investigated by sworn or commissioned law enforcement personnel and determined to be false or baseless. No offense occurred nor was attempted. (Note: This disposition will only be used when the crime report has been unfounded in accordance with Clery Act definitions and standards. Non-Clery crimes, or arrests and referrals for disciplinary action, cannot be unfounded).
  • Closed. Subject Barred: The subject(s) has been issued a college bar notice which restricts the subject from entering or accessing any district property. A violation of a bar notice may result in that person's arrest for trespassing.
  • Closed. No Further Action: No further investigative or responsive action on the part of GWC/public safety personnel is required in response to the report.
  • Closed. No Further Action (late entry): No further investigative or responsive action on the part of GWC/public safety personnel is required in response to the report. Furthermore, this entry was not added to the log within two business days of the initial report’s receipt. The entry was added as soon as practicable following GWC’s discovery that the entry was inadvertently omitted from the log.
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