Simpson College security officials release campus crime, fire reports

Simpson+College+security+officials+release+campus+crime%2C+fire+reports

by Alex Kirkpatrick, Digital Editor

INDIANOLA, Iowa — Simpson College security officials released the Clery Act annual security and fire safety reports late this week showing a rise in reported rape on its Indianola campus from previous years.

The report, which is required by all colleges and universities with federal financial aid programs to disclose records of campus crime, shows there were two cases of reported rape in 2015. In 2014, there was one.

The report defines rape as “the penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without consent of the victim.”

The Clery Act’s scope, though, does not reflect statistics and surveys geared toward college-age women who experience sexual assault.

Moreover, the increased number of reported rapes does not necessarily reflect an increase of incidents due to Simpson’s efforts to foster a community where reporting is encouraged.

There were three on-campus arrests in 2015 – two for drug abuse violations and one for liquor law violations. The number is similar to last year and lower than in 2013.

The number of on-campus disciplinary actions is considerably lower than in previous years. This year, there were 62 for liquor law violations; in 2013 and 2014, there were 115 each. There were two drug abuse violations in 2015 compared to five in 2014.

There were no hate crimes reported – the same as in 2014 and 2013.

The report also showed there were no fires in Simpson residential facilities. Last year, there were three fires and one injury.

The Clery Act was signed in 1990 after the rape and murder of Jeanne Clery in her residence hall at Lehigh University four years prior. Failure to comply with the act could result in fines up to $35,000 per violation.

For more information on campus safety procedures and crime statistics, see the full report here.