Overview
All members of the Green River College community are encouraged to report in a timely manner all crimes and other safety concerns to Campus Safety or to the appropriate local law enforcement agency (LEA) under whose jurisdiction the specific campus occurs. Note: this policy does not impede the obligation of any faculty or staff to (1) notify the Student Affairs Title IX Coordinator about any incident of sexual violence involving a student or (2) notify the Human Resources Title IX Coordinator about any incident of sexual violence involving an employee. Among other things, this
policy addresses who can report crimes, when they can report crimes, how crimes need to be reported, and to whom they should report crimes.

Purpose 
Accurate and prompt reporting will help facilitate the initiation of “Timely Warning Notifications” and other appropriate response procedures in order to maximize safety for students and staff. It will also help ensure the accuracy of crime
statistics compiled in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure and Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (The “Clery Act”).

Scope
This policy applies to all Green River College campus locations (whether they are served by Green River College Campus Safety or by the local law enforcement agencies in their residing jurisdictions.)

Definitions 
 

Policy and/or Procedure
The Green River College has a Campus Safety Office which is the official reporting authority for crimes at Green River College. All members of the College community, including all students, faculty, staff and visitors, are encouraged to report all crimes and other public safety concerns to Campus Safety in a timely manner. If an emergency situation arises that immediately endangers a person or others, the reporting party should first dial 911 to notify the appropriate local law enforcement or fire department. NOTE: Campus Safety also accepts voluntary, confidential reports of crimes in cases where the victim or witness of a crime does not wish to pursue either judicial or disciplinary action. All such reports are included in the annual disclosure of crime statistics. A confidential report can help determine if there is a pattern of crime with regard to a particular location, method, or assailant, and can help alert the campus community to potential danger.

Campus Security Authorities
Campus Security Authorities (CSAs), as identified below, are required to immediately report to Green River College Campus Safety any instance of the crimes listed below occurring on or near the Green River College Campus (Main, Downtown, Kent or Enumclaw) of which they become aware, whether by direct observation, disclosure by a victim, witness, or perpetrator, or report by some other person who has learned of the crime. Crimes that should be
reported to Campus Safety are:

  • Murder and non-negligent manslaughter
  • Negligent manslaughter
  • Robbery
  • Aggravated assault
  • Burglary
  • Motor vehicle theft
  • Arson
  • All hate crimes involving bodily injury, larceny-theft, intimidation, simple assault, or vandalism of property
  • All liquor, drug or weapons law violations resulting in an arrest or referred for disciplinary action

The decision of whether a report is credible or needs to be investigated to gather more information or to be determined whether or not it took place is NOT the responsibility of the CSA. It is not the responsibility of a CSA to investigate a crime report. It is the responsibility of a CSA to report a crime without delay to the Green River College Campus Safety Office. In addition, all CSAs are required to immediately report to the Student Affairs Title IX Coordinator or the Human Resources Title IX Coordinator any instance of the following crimes occurring on or near the
Green River College Campus of which they become aware, whether by direct observation, disclosure by a victim, witness, or perpetrator, or report by some other person who has learned of the crime:

  • Domestic violence,
  • Domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking
  • Forcible sex offenses
  • Non-forcible sex offenses

The Student Affairs or Human Resources Title IX Coordinator shall ensure that these crimes are promptly reported to the Campus Safety Department for the purpose of compiling and reporting accurate crime statistics in accordance with the Clery Act. Also, Campus Safety will determine if an investigation is needed and will contact the appropriate local law enforcement agency as necessary.

The positions listed below are identified by Green River College as Campus Safety Authorities:

  • Dean of Student Affairs
  • Dean of Student Success & Retention
  • Dean of Campus Life
  • Housing personnel (assistant director housing judicial services, resident Enrollment & Completion assistants) or designees
  • Managers in Human Resources
  • Director of Welcome Center
  • Assessment & Testing
  • Director of Campus Safety, Transportation & Parking
  • Head coaches and assistant coaches or designees
  • Any Green River College Safety Staff
  • Director of Running Start
  • Director of Judicial Affairs and Compliance
  • Manager of International Activities
  • Director of Athletics and Recreations Student Health Educator
  • Director of Diversity and Inclusion
  • Director of Financial Aid
  • Director of Housing Trainers in Athletics
  • Director of TRiO Student Support Services & SAFE
  • Director of Student Affairs, Leadership & Involvement
  • Director of Disability Support Services & Student 504 Compliance
  • Deans of Instruction
  • Deans of International Programs & Extended Learning
  • Faculty and staff advisors for Green River College student organizations
  • Program Coordinator for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Director of Enrollment Services
  • Title IX Coordinator (for staff) or designee
  • Director of Career and Advising
  • Director of Enrollment Services
  • Coordinator of Student Leadership & Involvement
  • Director of Welcome Center
  • Director of Assessment & Testing
  • Student Club Advisors
  • Director of Running Start
  • Student Life Program Support Supervisor
  • Title IX Coordinator (for students) or designee
  • Program Coordinator for DSS
  • Program Support Supervisor for TRiO

Specific CSA contact information is available at Campus Safety Office in an electronic file on the Campus Safety drive and is updated quarterly.

Professional Faculty Counselors
All professional faculty counselors, as defined below, when acting as such, are not considered to be Campus Security Authorities and are not required to report crimes. However, as a matter of policy, they are encouraged to inform the person they are counseling, if and when they deem appropriate, how to report a crime on a voluntary basis for inclusion in the annual crime statistics. Note: Green River College does not employ pastoral counselors, thus, Clery reporting stipulations for that category does not apply. A professional counselor is an employee of the college whose official responsibility include providing personal counseling and who is functioning within the scope of his or her license or certification.

Additional Information
The Green River College Campus Safety Office is operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. It is designed to remain operational during major emergencies, including those involving the loss of power and telecommunications. A separate generator for emergency purposes is activated during power loss, so communications are maintained, and mobile phones and hand-held Motorola radios can be recharged.

By Whom Should Crimes be Reported?
Crimes should be reported by any person (student, staff, faculty, community member, or visitor) to the Campus Safety office.

When to Report Crimes?
Crimes should be reported promptly to Campus Safety by going to the Campus Safety Office, located in the Administration Building, or by calling extension 3350. If a CSA has taken the report from a third person, then that CSA should report the crime immediately to Campus Safety. The Campus Safety Department will determine the appropriate level of investigation and will notify the appropriate local law enforcement agency of crimes of serious impact so a formal investigation can begin.

Contact information for local law enforcement agencies is below:

  • Main Campus and Downtown Auburn Center Campus—Auburn Police Department: 253-288-2121
  • Kent Campus — Kent Police Department: 253-852-2121
  • Enumclaw Campus — Enumclaw Police Department: 360-825-3505

How to Report Crimes
A person can report a crime to Campus Safety or to any Campus Security Authority. (See the table above in the Campus Security Authority section for titles/positions that have CSA reporting responsibilities.) Be as specific as
possible and give your name and those of other witnesses (if you are not reporting confidentially). A report about a crime can be made in the following ways:

  • Call the Campus Safety Office at 253-833-9111 (or extension 3350 if using an internal Green River College phone), or come to the Campus Safety Office located in the Administration Building main lobby area.
  • Report by telephone, via email, or as a written report. It can be made directly in person or sent via email or GRC Campus Mail or US Postal Mail to Campus Safety.
  • Note: If the emergency appears to be immediately life or public safety threatening, or involves the commission of a serious crime, call 911.

Private and Voluntary Confidential Reporting
Because police / incident reports are public records under state law, GRC cannot hold reports of crime in confidence.

A student's privacy concerns are weighed against the needs of the College to respond to certain incidents and crimes.

To the greatest extent possible, all reports will remain private. In compelling situations, GRC reserves the right to take reasonable action in response to any crime report, and information may be shared with appropriate departments and
agencies under a need-to-know basis when it pertains to investigative needs and safety concerns of the campus community.

However, anonymous reports may be filed for statistical reporting purposes. All reports submitted on a confidential or anonymous basis are evaluated for purposes of issuing a campus-wide “Timely Warning Notification” as well as inclusion in the annual crime statistics.

NOTE: Confidential reports can be made anonymously via the telephone to any CSA or Campus Safety staff or a confidential written report can be mailed anonymously to Campus Safety.

Other Considerations
Alternative to Immediately Filing a Police Report or Campus Safety Incident Report:

  • Report the crime at a later date
  • Make a complaint to a dean of student affairs. Such a complaint may be used for actions which include, but are not limited to, on-campus disciplinary proceedings.
  • Make an anonymous report to the Campus Safety Department
  • Contact an internal office for help: the Campus Corner Apartment Office, or the Title IX Coordinator in the in Student Affairs (for students) or Title IX Coordinator in Human Resources (for employees)
  • Contact a Campus Security Authority and make a report to them.

Specific Authority

The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-315—August 14, 2008). This act requires institutions that both participate in any federal higher education programs and maintain on-campus housing to establish policy for
reporting and categorizing crimes that are listed in the Jeanne Clery Disclosure and Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (The “Clery Act”). This is enforced by the U.S. Department of Education (ED).

Law Implemented

History of Policy or Procedure
Draft: June 30, 2016
Adopted: August 18, 2016
Revised:
Reviewed by:
Contact: George Frasier, Vice President for College Advancement Executive Director, ext. 3338
Sponsor: Dr. Deborah Casey, Vice President of Student Affairs, ext. 3328