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CLERY ACT – EMERGENCY NOTIFICATIONS, TIMELY WARNINGS, & SAFETY ADVISORIES

Central Maine Community College takes its duty seriously to inform students and campus community members of threatening situations and how they can best protect themselves from harm.

Central Maine Community College utilizes the RAVE Alert System to inform the campus community about certain categories of criminal activity occurring on campus, in or on non-campus buildings or property, or on public property, as defined below, when these activities are considered to be an ongoing threat to the campus community.

 

I. Definitions

Clery Act: A federal statute that requires all colleges and universities that participate in federal financial aid programs to keep and disclose information about crime on and near their respective campuses. The Act requires notification to students and employees whenever there is a threat that a serious crime is ongoing or may be repeated. Compliance is monitored by the United States Department of Education.

On-Campus: Any building or property owned or controlled by Central Maine Community College (CMCC) within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area and used by CMCC in direct support of or in a manner related to its educational purposes, including residence halls.

Non-Campus Buildings or Property: Any building or property owned or controlled by CMCC that is used in direct support of or in relation to CMCC’s educational purposes, is frequently used by students, and is not within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area of CMCC.

Public Property: All public property, including thoroughfares, streets, sidewalks, and parking facilities, that is within the campus or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus.

 

II. Timely Warnings, Safety Advisories, and Emergency Notifications

Clery Act Timely Warning Notice: Central Maine Community College issues Alerts to fulfill the Timely Warning component of the Clery Act. Information on crime-related and other potentially threatening conditions are provided in an accurate and timely fashion for use by students and other college community members to reduce their chances of becoming victims. These notices are for serious or ongoing threats to the campus community involving a “Clery Act crime.”

Types of incidents or situations that may require the issuance of a Clery Timely Warning Notice include, but are not limited to:

  • homicide
  •  sexual assault or fondling
  • robbery
  • aggravated assault
  • Burglary of a residence or office
  • motor vehicle theft
  • arson
  • hate crimes
  • stalking, dating, or domestic violence
  • weapon law, drug or alcohol violations

Safety Advisories: Central Maine Community College Safety Advisories are issued to notify students and employees when it is determined that there is a string of criminal activity, usually property crime related or other activity that is not a Clery Act crime or did not occur in the College’s Clery defined geography.

Examples of situations that may generate the decision to issue a Safety Advisory include, but are not limited to:

  • power outage
  • snow closure
  • string of thefts
  • burglaries of a motor vehicle
  • scam or fraud alerts.

Emergency Notifications: Central Maine Community College issues Emergency Notifications to students and employees upon confirmation of a significant, dangerous situation, incident, or crime, posing an immediate threat to the campus community and/or the surrounding area.

Examples of such situations may include, but are not limited to:

  • terrorist incident,
  • armed intruder,
  • civil unrest or rioting
  • bomb threat,
  • earthquake,
  • gas leak,
  • explosion or fire,
  • approaching tornado, hurricane, or other extreme weather conditions,
  • an outbreak of meningitis, norovirus, or other serious illnesses,
  • nearby chemical or hazardous waste spill.

 

III. When are Timely Warnings Issued?

The Clery Act identifies specific crimes that require a timely warning notice to be issued when crimes are reported to a Campus Security Authority and the reported crime is believed to have occurred on campus, in or on non-campus buildings or property, or on public property, as defined herein.

Central Maine Community College will provide timely notice of continuing threats, especially concerning safety, to enable community members to protect themselves. The warning will be issued as soon as pertinent information is available. Issuing a timely warning shall be decided on a case-by-case basis in light of all of the facts surrounding a crime, including factors such as the nature of the crime, the continuing danger to the campus community, the date of disclosure, and the possible risk of compromising law enforcement efforts.

Generally, the warning will specify the type of reported crime, the time and location at which the reported crime occurred, and specific advice to the campus community regarding steps to take to avoid becoming a victim. Timely Warnings will never disclose the name or any identifying characteristics of a crime victim.

Timely Warnings and Safety Advisories may be disseminated to campus community members through one or a combination of the following methods:

  • Email
  • Text messaging to cell phones
  • College website
  • Other methods deemed necessary to disseminate the information
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