Timely Warning Policy (D-51)
Original Implementation: October 30, 2007
Last Revision: None
A Campus Crime Alert/Timely Warning ("Alert/Timely Warning") is provided to heighten safety awareness and to provide students, faculty and staff timely notification of crimes that are considered to represent a serious or continuing threat to the campus community. The alert will provide pertinent information related to the crime and suspect (as more specifically described below in the Timely Warning Procedure), and will also seek information that may lead to arrest and conviction of the offender.
The Stephen F. Austin State University Police Department (SFAPD) is responsible for preparing and issuing Alerts/Timely Warnings. SFAPD personnel will make the decision of whether to issue an Alert/Timely Warning on a case-by-case basis considering the facts surrounding a crime, including factors such as the nature of the crime, the continuing danger to the campus community and the possible risk of compromising law enforcement efforts. Information for Alerts/Timely Warnings may also come from other law enforcement agencies or other officers. Alerts/Timely Warnings will be issued to the campus community as soon as pertinent information about the crime is available. Alerts/Timely Warnings will be delivered using the following means:
- by e-mail to students’ and employees’ campus e-mail accounts,
- on the SFAPD Campus Alert website at http://www2.sfasu.edu/upd/information.html,
- by webpage banners on all pages hosted on the main SFA web server, directing traffic to the campus alert website.
Timely Warning Procedure
The SFAPD will prepare and issue an Alert/Timely Warning whenever a report is received of a crime that represents a serious or continuing threat to the safety of students, faculty and staff.
Campus Crime Alerts/Timely Warnings will be e-mailed to all students, faculty and staff and will be posted on the SFAPD’s website. Alternative methods for distributing Campus Crime Alerts may include media releases, campus newspaper, flyers posted in university buildings, and phone message boards.
Whenever local authorities make the SFAPD aware of an off-campus crime that represents an ongoing threat to the safety of students, faculty and staff, the university will issue a Campus Crime Alert/Timely Warning.
Information included in Campus Crime Alerts/Warnings will include, at minimum:
- A succinct description of the incident and type of crime, including location, date and time of occurrence
- A physical description of the suspect, including gender and race
- Composite drawing of the suspect, or photograph, if available
- Apparent connection to previous incidents, if applicable
- Race of the victim, but only if there was an apparent bias motive
- Sex of the victim, if relevant
- Injury sustained by the victim
- Date and time the campus alert was released
- A notice to the campus community to exercise caution
Cross Reference: 20 USC 1092(f); Policy for Reporting the Annual Disclosure of Crime Statistics (D-52)
Responsible for Implementation: Vice President for University Affairs
Contact for Revision: Chief of University Police
Forms: None