Timely Warning Notice [TWN] / Safety Alert

Policy Statement

To ensure the safety and security of all members of the University community, Adelphi University complies with the Jeanne Clery Act, which requires institutions to issue a timely warning when a Clery crime, occurring within Clery geography, poses a serious or on-going threat to the campus community.

Reason for Policy

This policy is to ensure compliance with the Timely Warning requirements of the Jeanne Clery Act and to provide Adelphi University, including faculty, staff, and students with timely information about crimes. Adelphi University Timely Warning Policy is intended to aid in the prevention of crimes posing a serious or continuing threat to the community.

Who Is Governed by this Policy

Administration, Staff, Students, Campus Security Authorities (CSA), Visitors

Policy

Under the federal Jeanne Clery Act, Adelphi University Department of Public Safety is responsible for disseminating a Timely Notice. Adelphi University will issue a Timely Warning Notice (TWN), also known as a Safety Alert, in the event that it receives notice of an alleged Clery Crime occurring within Clery Geography. Clery Geography includes the Garden City Campus, Hauppauge Education and Conference Center, New York City-Brooklyn Center, Hudson Valley Center, non-campus property (property owned/controlled by the University), and/or public property (property within or immediately adjacent to campus). The crimes that often require the distribution of a TWN/Safety Alert include Murder/Non-negligent Manslaughter (or any suspicious death), Robbery, Aggravated Assault, Sexual Assault (Rape, Fondling, Statutory Rape, Incest), patterns of Burglaries, and/or major cases of arson. In addition, you may see a TWN/Safety Alert for other Clery or Non-Clery crimes when deemed necessary. In the event that a situation happens within Clery Geography, and the judgement of the Executive Director of Public Safety and Security, or designee, considers it to constitute an serious threat (with advisement from Local Law Enforcement and/or Title IX), a campus wide “timely warning” is distributed. For the purpose of this policy, “timely” means as soon as reasonably possible after an incident has been reported to the Department of Public Safety, to the Campus Security Authorities identified by Adelphi University or local police agencies that have reported the information to the University.

The University will issue a TWN / Safety Alert in all instances in which (1) a crime is committed; (2) the perpetrator has not been apprehended; and (3) there is a substantial risk to the physical safety of other members of the campus community because of this crime. Such crimes include, but are not limited to: (1) Clery Crimes that are reported to any Campus Security Authority or the local police; or (2) the University determines that the incident represents an ongoing threat to the campus community.

Timely Warning / Safety Alert

Scope: Narrow focus on Clery Act Crimes

Why: Timely warnings are triggered by crimes that have already occurred but represent an ongoing threat. Issue a timely warning for any Clery Act crime committed on University Clery Act geography that is reported to our campus security authorities or a local law enforcement agency, and that is considered by the institution to represent a serious or continuing threat to students and employees.

Where: Applies to crimes that occur anywhere on University Clery Act geography.

When: Issue a warning as soon as the pertinent information is available.

A Notice is considered “timely” if it issued as soon as pertinent information is available and as soon as reasonably practicable after an incident has been reported to any CSA and/or Public Safety. The timeliness of a notice shall be determined and evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Definitions

Timely Warning: The Clery Act requires you to alert the campus community to certain crimes in a manner that is timely and will aid in the prevention of similar crimes. Although the Clery Act doesn’t define “timely,” the intent of a warning regarding a criminal incident(s) is to enable people to protect themselves. This means that a warning should be issued as soon as pertinent information is available.

The nature of the crime: This means that the University should consider the type of crime that was reported to determine whether a Timely Warning is warranted.

The continuing danger to the campus community: This means that after a Clery Act crime is reported, the University should consider whether their students and employees are at risk of becoming victims of a similar crime.

The possible risk of compromising law enforcement efforts: This factor does not mean that in the event of a serious or continuing threat to our students or employees the University should decide not to issue a timely warning. It means that the institution should consider the potential impact on various law enforcement operations as it issues these warnings.

Procedures

Making the Decision to Issue a Timely Warning

In determining whether to issue a Timely Warning, on a case-by-case basis, the University will consider all the facts surrounding the crime including factors such as the location of the crime, the nature of the crime, the continuing danger to the campus community, and the possible risk of compromising law enforcement efforts. If there is insufficient information available to determine whether the incident represents a serious and continuing threat to the Adelphi community, Adelphi will issue a Timely Warning Notice / Safety Alert. A Timely Warning Notice will not be sent if, based on the information available,

• If it appears unlikely that there is an ongoing threat to the community, such as the perpetrators have been apprehended and the threat of imminent danger to the Adelphi Community has been mitigated by the apprehension; or
• In which Adelphi University Department of Public Safety was not notified of the crime in a manner that would allow the department to post a “timely” warning for the community; or
• In which, Adelphi does not have full information to evaluate the nature of the ongoing threat;

In addition, it will be noted in the content of the Timely Warning Determination form which you can get in the Public Safety Office.

Note: A Timely Warning is distributed after a crime/incident has already occurred and been reported to Adelphi Public Safety but is considered ongoing (i.e. pattern of burglaries). In an emergency situation, an Emergency Alert is more likely to be sent out than a Timely Warning for immediate action by the campus community for an active threat (i.e. Hostile intruder; Weather Storm, etc.).

By law, Adelphi University is not required to issue a Timely Warning for off-campus crimes; however, situations occurring off-campus are evaluated on a case-by-case basis to determine if there is a crime that poses a serious or continuing threat to the community. A safety alert may be distributed to the Adelphi Community in the event that a situation arises off campus, that in the judgment of the Executive Director of Public Safety and Security, or designee, considers it to constitute an ongoing or continuing threat to the off campus community.

When to issue a Timely Warning / Safety Alert?

As soon as pertinent information is available, the Department of Public Safety and Transportation will evaluate the need to issue a timely warning based upon the following conditions:

• A Clery Act crime occurring within the University’s Clery geography or poses a risk to the campus community that has been reported to campus security authorities or the Department of Public Safety and Transportation;
• A Non-Clery Act crime occurring within or around the University or poses a risk to the campus community that has been reported to campus security authorities or the Department of Public Safety and Transportation; and
• The University considers the crime to represent a serious or continuing threat to students and employees.

What is Included in a Timely Warning?

The Executive Director of Public Safety and Security, or designee, will determine the content, on a case-by-case basis, based on the incident that has occurred. The content will provide a clear description of what has been reported without compromising law enforcement efforts and/or jeopardizing the confidentiality of the Victim(s). The information will include, to the extent known, the date, time, nature of the offense, brief overview of circumstance, physical description of the Person of Interest(s), law enforcement’s immediate action(s), a request and method for witnesses to contact Public Safety or Law Enforcement, and outline Safety Tips that the Adelphi Community can take to prevent similar occurrences. In compliance with the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, the names of crime victims will not be published in Timely Warnings.

What department or individual is responsible for issuing the Timely Warning?

The Executive Director of Public Safety and Security or designee will approve the dissemination of the TWN/Safety Alert. Once the decision has been made to issue a timely warning, the Department of Public Safety and Transportation is responsible for distributing the warning. Timely warnings are distributed via methods reasonably likely to reach the entire campus community and updated as new crime information becomes available. This is typically accomplished by:

• Posting a notice on the Adelphi Public Safety website safety.adelphi.edu and;
• Sending a mass-email using the University email system;
• Utilizing the RAVE Alert System (see below) to send a text message or voice message to the campus community (done on a case-by-case basis).

How should a crime be reported?

TWN/Safety Alerts are provided to students and employees at Adelphi University in a manner that is considered “timely”. The intent in issuing a timely warning is to enable members of the campus community to protect themselves and to aid in the prevention of similar crimes. Anyone with information they feel warrants a timely warning/safety alert should immediately contact Public Safety at 516.877.3511 or in person at the public safety command center, Levermore Hall. In addition, you can report a crime or incident to a campus security authority. To find out who is a CSA, please visit, safety-transportation.

Are there confidential/anonymous reporting procedures?

If you are the victim of or witness to a crime and do not want to pursue action within the university system or the criminal justice system, you may still want to consider making a confidential/anonymous report. The purpose of a confidential/anonymous report is to comply with your wish to keep the matter confidential, while taking steps to ensure the future safety of yourself and others. With such information, the University can keep accurate records of the number of incidents involving students, determine where there is a pattern of crime with regard to a particular location, method or assailant, and alert the campus community to potential danger. Reports filed in this manner are counted and disclosed in the annual crimes statistics for the institution and may result in a timely warning report.

To file a confidential/anonymous report please use the Whistleblower Hotline. For more information, on this Hotline, please visit whistleblower-hotline.

What to do if an Emergency Notification is issued instead of a Timely Warning?

The Department’s regulations specify that “an institution that follows its emergency notification procedures is not required to issue a timely warning based on the same circumstances; however, the institution must provide adequate follow-up information to the community as needed.”

Forms

Incident Report Form [Located at the Department of Public Safety]

Timely Warning Notification Documentation [Internal Public Safety use only]

Related Information

safety-transportation/clery-act

safety-transportation/clery-act/emergency-notifications-and-alerts

safety-transportation/clery-act/csa

safety-transportation/clery-act/annual-security-and-fire-safety-report

safety-transportation/resources/alerts

policies/whistleblower-hotline

cleryappendixfinal.pdf

Document History

• Policy Origination Date: Unknown
• Last Reviewed Date: August 5, 2024
• Policy Reviewed by: Policy Owner and Policy Experts
• Last Approval Date: August 5, 2024

Who Approved This Policy

John Siderakis, Vice President of Administration, and Executive Leadership