Dive Brief:
- The Indiana legislature passed a bill that would allow private college police departments to skip detailed reporting of crimes in which no arrests were made, but Gov. Mike Pence is considering vetoing it.
- The Associated Press reports Pence has claimed a “strong bias for the public’s right to know,” in a case that would let the state’s private colleges out of reporting requirements that public schools must operate under.
- Critics of the bill say it would keep private college students in the dark about true campus crime trends, including those regarding thefts, which often do not result in arrests.
Dive Insight:
In Indiana, public colleges are required to go a step beyond federal requirements, filing detailed reports even if no arrests are made. The Associated Press reports the current bill being considered by the governor would simply reiterate the existing federal requirements that private colleges are already subject to.
A key policing issue on college campuses is sexual assault reporting, which is universally believed to be inaccurate because of a high rate of underreporting by victims. The University of Texas System is embarking on a campaign to shift the culture around sexual assault reporting, starting with new training for police officers that may ultimately make victims more comfortable going to police about their assaults.