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Liberal Column

SU’s annual security report leaves important questions unanswered

Karleigh Merritt-Henry | Digital Design Editor

Outlining the policies that guide SU’s response to sexual assault is not enough.

Syracuse University released its annual campus security report today, cataloging all incidents of criminal activity on SU’s campus since 2016. While alcohol and drug offenses accounted for the bulk of the listed crimes, sexual assault and harassment were prominent in the report. Twelve of the report’s 73 pages were dedicated to defining sexual assault and harassment, outlining university and enforcement procedures for sexual crimes and detailing the rights of student victims.

The report also reports 35 incidents of rape in the crime charts on page 35 of the document. What it notably leaves out, though, are the punishments given to the rapists. Since 34 of the 35 rapes took place in residential facilities, it is safe to assume that some perpetrators were students. Since this report only goes back to 2016, it is possible that many of these students, if suspended as opposed to expelled, still attend SU. Unfortunately, the security report doesn’t detail whether the 35 rapists were students or not, or what the punishments for their crimes were. This leaves the reader with more questions than answers.

SU is under no obligation to release this information. The current security and safety report certainly satisfies institutional requirements, as well as the Clery Act. Releasing this information, when totaled over three years, will still preserve anonymity. It will also provide a much clearer picture of Syracuse University’s safety.

Outlining the policies that guide SU’s response to sexual assault is not enough. It is imperative that students know the realities of how those policies are implemented. By providing this information, the university takes on a new level of accountability and allows students to fully grasp the state of safety and security on campus.

Sydney Gold is a freshman policy studies and public relations major. Her column appears bi-weekly. She can be reached at segold@syr.edu. She can be followed on Twitter @Sydney_Eden.







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