Clery Act safety disclosures include a crime log, timely warnings, and emergency notifications.
Crime log
In collaboration with the Office of Campus Safety Compliance, the UCPD produces and maintains a compliant crime log for the UC Santa Cruz campus. To view the electronic version of the crime log, click here. When on the page, select Daily Crime/Fire Log Bulletin.
This crime log includes information about all criminal incidents and alleged criminal incidents against persons or property which are reported to the UC Santa Cruz Police within the most recent 60-day period that has occurred in the required reporting geography and UPD patrol jurisdiction. Information includes:
- the nature of the crime,
- general location,
- date/time occurred,
- disposition, and
- date reported.
However, information that may likely jeopardize an ongoing criminal investigation or the safety of an individual, cause a suspect to flee or evade detection, or result in the destruction of evidence, will be temporarily withheld from the log until the referenced damage is no longer likely to occur from the release of this information. Crimes for which the disclosure is prohibited by law, or the disclosure would jeopardize the victim’s confidentiality are not included.
The crime log is kept in the UC Santa Cruz Police Department, and upon request, is immediately available to the public during business hours (i.e., Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm). Any information pertaining to the crime log that is older than the previous 60 days can be made available within two business days, upon request.
Timely Warnings
Timely Warnings are triggered by Clery-specific crimes that have already occurred but represent a serious or continuing threat to the UC Santa Cruz community. Timely warnings will be distributed community-wide where there is a reasonable expectation to reach the entire campus community, typically sent via mass e-mail.
Reporting and Wellness Resources
If seeing a timely warning empowers someone to report their crime victimization or that of someone else’s, they can contact:
- The UC Santa Cruz Police by dialing the non-emergency number (831) 459-2231, Ext. 1,
- The Office of Title IX by calling (831) 459-2462, emailing titleix@ucsc.edu , or filing an online report .
- make a report to a Campus Security Authority.
If a student is triggered by a timely warning and wishes to seek mental health or support services, they are encouraged to contact UCSC’s counseling and psychological services (CAPS) or campus advocacy resources and education (CARE) .
FAQs about Timely Warnings
Q: Why is a timely warning issued?
A: The Clery Act, a federal law, requires UC Santa Cruz to alert the campus community to certain crimes in a manner that is timely and will aid in the prevention of similar crimes. A warning regarding a criminal incident(s) enables people to protect themselves against a serious or continuing threat.
Q: Does a timely warning mean a sudden spike in on-campus crime?
A: Not necessarily, as UC Santa Cruz encourages victims of and witnesses to a criminal incident to report it to the proper authorities. Through various campus departments’ awareness and prevention efforts, UC Santa Cruz is instead creating a campus culture where victims of and witnesses to a criminal incident feel comfortable to report.
Q: What kinds of crimes and incidents warrant a timely warning?
A: Timely warnings are not limited to violent crimes or crimes against a person but can also be issued for crimes that threaten property.
Q: What determines the issuance of a timely warning?
A: Whether UC Santa Cruz issues a timely warning must be decided on a case-by-case basis in light of all the facts surrounding a criminal incident(s), including many different factors, including but not limited to the nature/circumstances of the criminal incident(s), the continuing danger to the campus community and the timing the report was originally made.
Q: I want to know more. Why are the details not as descriptive as I would have hoped?
A: The Clery Act regulations do not specify what information should be included in a timely warning. However, because a timely warning intends to enable campus community members to protect themselves, it should include all information promoting safety and aiding in preventing similar criminal incidents. Timely warnings will withhold the victim’s name and other personally identifiable information. Timely Warnings must also withhold confidential information and should not include any information that may compromise law enforcement efforts.
Q: Timely Warnings can be triggering. Why does the incident description seem written from the reporting party’s perspective?
A: The Clery Act requires UC Santa Cruz to issue timely warnings as soon as pertinent information is available if a Clery Act crime that occurred on Clery geography is determined to represent a serious or continuing threat. This oftentimes, if not always, prohibits UC Santa Cruz from waiting until a criminal or administrative investigation can unfold.
Q: Why is the campus being issued a warning instead of someone being arrested?
It’s important to remember that in higher education, victims of crime have multiple avenues to report crimes and that those multiple avenues offer varying resources and options for resolution. It is the victim’s right to choose the avenue of resolution best for them. Whether that includes a criminal investigation or administrative investigation, certain processes are protected under confidentiality, FERPA, and/or due process. The institution will conduct matters according to law and policy. Just because the public may not see it, doesn’t mean something isn’t happening.
Emergency Notifications, Response, and Evacuation
Under the Clery Act, every institution must immediately notify the campus community upon confirmation of a significant emergency or dangerous situation occurring on the campus that involves an immediate threat to the health or safety of students or employees. An “immediate” threat includes an imminent or impending threat, such as:
- an approaching forest fire,
- a fire currently raging in a campus building,
- gas leak,
- terrorist incident,
- bomb threat
- active shooter.
UCSC notifies the campus community about immediate threats through CruzAlerts, issued in conjunction with the Office of Emergency Management’s (OEM) campus notification program. For more information about CruzAlerts, other campus notifications , and safety mobile app resources, visit the OEM website.
Without exception, the Clery Act requires every Title IV institution to have and disclose emergency response and evacuation procedures that would be used in response to a significant emergency or dangerous situation involving an immediate threat to the health or safety of students or employees on the campus. The emergency response and evacuation requirements are intended to ensure that UCSC has sufficiently prepared for an emergency on campus, that the University is testing these procedures to identify and improve any weaknesses, and that the University has considered how it will inform the campus community and others in the event of an emergency.
For more information on UCSC’s emergency procedures and department Emergency Action Plans (EAP) , please visit the OEM website.