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2004 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 122
Directing the Virginia State Crime Commission to study campus safety at Virginia's public and private institutions of higher education. Report.

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 10, 2004
Agreed to by the Senate, March 9, 2004

WHEREAS, numerous aggravated assaults, sexual offenses, robberies, burglaries and other serious crimes are committed every year on the campuses of Virginia's institutions of higher education; and

WHEREAS, institutions of higher education around the country as well as private campus safety organizations have developed innovative campus safety programs that would be beneficial to Virginia colleges; and

WHEREAS, the Virginia Center for School Safety is developing a list of best practices of safety procedures for elementary and secondary schools; and

WHEREAS, no such information has been developed for the system of higher education; and

WHEREAS, information about best practices of campus safety programs and policies would be extremely beneficial to the security of students attending Virginia institutions of higher education; and

WHEREAS, personal safety and security are crucial preconditions that facilitate learning on college campuses; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the Virginia State Crime Commission be directed to study campus safety at Virginia's public and private institutions of higher education. The study shall examine (i) current Virginia policies, procedures, and programs used to promote safety at institutions of higher education; (ii) the nature of criminal offenses at Virginia's public and private institutions of higher education; (iii) the use of best practices or models for campus safety nationally; and (iv) the need to develop statewide procedures to ensure the dissemination of information pertaining to best practices for campus safety to Virginia's public and private institutions of higher education.

Technical assistance shall be provided to the Commission by the Secretary of Education, the General and Professional Advisory Committee and the Student Affairs Advisory Committee to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, and the Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia. All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the Commission for this study, upon request.

The Virginia State Crime Commission shall complete its meetings by November 30, 2004, and the Chairman of the Commission shall submit to the Division of Legislative Automated Systems an executive summary of its findings and recommendations no later than the first day of the 2005 Regular Session of the General Assembly. The executive summary shall state whether the Commission intends to submit to the General Assembly and the Governor a report of its findings and recommendations for publication as a document. The executive summary and report shall be submitted as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports and shall be posted on the General Assembly's website.