Campus Security Authorities (CSA)

The Clery Act designates members of the campus community as CSAs. When these individuals become aware of a crime that occurred on or around campus, they have an obligation under federal law and GRCC Policy to report the information to the GRCC Police Department.

CSAs are required to report the information accurately and in a timely manner; they are not expected to investigate the crime. This reporting is essential, as it allows GRCC to notify the campus community about crimes that pose a serious or ongoing threat. 

The Clery Act designates the following individuals as Campus Security Authorities (CSA):

• Members of an institution’s campus police or campus security department.
• Any individuals who are responsible for campus security but who do not constitute a campus police department or a campus security department.
• Any individual or organization specified in an institution’s statement of campus security policy as an individual to which students and employees should report criminal offenses.
• An official of an institution who has significant responsibility for student and campus activities, including but not limited to student discipline and campus judicial proceedings. 
  • An official is defined as any person who has the authority and duty to take action or respond to a particular issue on behalf of the institution.

• Report all allegations of Clery crimes that occur on Clery geography to the GRCC Police Department.  CSAs must report any Clery Act crimes reported to them or that they witness.
• Per GRCC policy, CSA’s must complete annual Clery training, a reminder email will be sent to you in October. CSAs are required to complete CSA Reporting Verification after winter and fall semester of each academic year, a reminder email will be sent. If you are unsure whether you have completed the Clery Training or the CSA Reporting Verification, you can confirm by checking your grades in Canvas. For additional questions, please contact clery@grcc.edu.

Note: CSAs are not required to report crimes that they learn of indirectly (e.g. overhear; through in‐class discussion; mentioned during a speech, workshop, or group presentation). CSA crime reporting is not a substitute for, nor does it supersede, any existing internal Department or other College reporting methods or protocols already in place for reporting incidents. 

If you are a GRCC CSA and are made aware of an alleged Clery Act crime, you must report that information to the GRCC Police Department.  If you are unsure whether the incident is reportable under the Clery Act, please contact GRCC Police or the Clery Compliance Specialist (CCS) as soon as possible and report it.  

CSAs are only obligated to report Clery Act crimes that occurred within GRCC's Clery Geography, however,  CSAs are encouraged to promptly report all campus related criminal incidents, and other public safety‐related emergencies to the GRCC Police Department.

• You may use the Clery Crime Reporting Form to report a crime directly to the CCS.

If you are unsure for any reason whether an incident should be reported, please report the incident. CSAs are NOT responsible for investigating or reporting incidents that they overhear students talking about in a hallway conversation; that a classmate or student mentions during an in-class discussion; that a victim mentions during a speech, workshop, or any other form of group presentation; or that the CSA otherwise learns about in an indirect manner.

When a student reports an incident, it is important to understand that confidentiality cannot be guaranteed. Students may report confidentially to counselors within the Center for Counseling and Well-Being, located on the 3rd floor of the Student Center. All other employees are required to report Clery incidents and VAWA incidents (sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking) for statistical inclusion in the Annual Security Report.

Consider informing students with the following statement:

"I appreciate your willingness to share, however, I want to be clear about my role.  I may be required to share information you disclose, as I am a Campus Security Authority and responsible employee. Please understand this is to ensure you are connected with the appropriate support and resources. While involving law enforcement is always your choice, the College may still need to follow up on the situation. If you are seeking a confidential space, the counselors in the Center for Counseling and Well-Being are the only individuals on campus who can guarantee it."