Clery Act Crimes Categories

Crimes are reported in the following seven (7) major categories, with several sub-categories.

Criminal Crimes

Criminal Homicide broken down into subcategories

Murder and non-negligent manslaughter

Criminal homicide-murder and non-negligent manslaughter: the willful (non-negligent) killing of one human being by another.

Negligent manslaughter

Criminal homicide-manslaughter by negligence: the killing of another person through gross negligence.

Sex Offenses (subcategories)

Forcible Sex Offenses (includes rape) and Nonforcible Sex Offenses

  •  Rape is defined 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 the consent of the victim. Sexual penetration means 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, or by a sex-related object. (From the FBI’s Summary Reporting System User Manual)
  •  The touching of the private body parts of another person for the purpose of sexual gratification without consent of the victim, including instances where the victim is incapable of giving consent because of his/her age or temporary or permanent mental or physical incapacity.
  •  non-forcible sexual intercourse between persons who are related to each other within the degrees wherein marriage is prohibited by law.
  • *Statutory Rape: non-forcible sexual intercourse with a person who is under the age of consent.

     

*From the National Incident-Based Reporting System User Manual) Crime Definitions as per the FBI's Summary Reporting System User Manual

Leonard P. Kinnicutt Professorship

An unlawful attack by one person upon another for the purpose of inflicting severe or aggravated bodily injury. This type of assault usually is accompanied by the use of a weapon or by means likely to produce death or great bodily harm. (It is not necessary that injury result from an aggravated assault when a gun, knife, or other weapon is used that could and probably would result in serious personal injury if the crime were successfully completed.)

Arson

Any willful or malicious burning or attempt to burn—with or without intent to defraud—a dwelling house, public building, motor vehicle or aircraft, personal property of another, etc.

Burglary

The unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or a theft. For reporting purposes this definition includes unlawful entry with intent to commit a larceny or felony; breaking and entering with intent to commit a larceny; housebreaking; safecracking; and all attempts to commit any of the aforementioned.

Motor Vehicle Theft

The theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle. (Classify as motor vehicle theft all cases where automobiles are taken by persons not having lawful access even though the vehicles are later abandoned, including joyriding.)

Robbery

The taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of force or violence and/or by putting the victim in fear.

Offense Definitions Relating to Hate/Bias Related Crime Statistics as per the Hate Crime Data Collection Guidelines and Training Manual.

Hate Crimes

Includes all crimes listed above that manifest evidence that the victim was chosen based on one of the categories of bias listed below, plus the following crimes:

Larceny/Theft

Includes pocket picking, purse snatching, shoplifting, theft from building, theft from motor vehicle, theft of motor vehicle parts or accessories, and all other larceny.

Simple Assault

An unlawful physical attack by one person upon another where neither the offender displays a weapon, nor the victim suffers obvious severe or aggravated bodily injury involving apparent broken bones, loss of teeth, possible internal injury, severe laceration or loss of consciousness.

Intimidation

To unlawfully place another person in reasonable fear of bodily harm through the use of threatening words and/or other conduct, but without displaying a weapon or subjecting the victim to actual physical attack.

Destruction/Damage/Vandalism of Property

To willfully or maliciously destroy, injure, disfigure, or deface any public or private property, real or personal, without the consent of the owner or person having custody or control of it.

Hate Crimes: Categories of Prejudice

Race

A preformed negative attitude toward a group of persons who possess common physical characteristics genetically transmitted by descent and heredity, which distinguish them as a distinct division of humankind.

Gender

A preformed negative opinion or attitude toward a group of persons because those persons are male or female.

Gender Identity

A preformed negative opinion or attitude toward a person or group of persons based on their actual or perceived gender identity, e.g., bias against transgender or gender nonconforming individuals.

Religion

A preformed negative opinion or attitude toward a group of persons who share the same religious beliefs regarding the origin and purpose of the universe and the existence or nonexistence of a supreme being.

Sexual Orientation

A preformed negative opinion or attitude toward a group of persons based on their sexual attraction toward, and responsiveness to, members of their own sex or members of the opposite sex.

Ethnicity

A preformed negative opinion or attitude toward a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, common culture (often including a shared religion) and/or ideology that stresses common ancestry. The concept of ethnicity differs from the closely related term race in that “race” refers to grouping based mostly upon biological criteria, while “ethnicity” also encompasses additional cultural factors.

National Origin

A preformed negative opinion or attitude toward a group of persons of the same race or national origin who share common or similar traits, languages, customs, and/or traditions.

Disability

A preformed negative opinion or attitude toward a group of persons based on their physical or mental impairments/challenges, whether such disability is temporary or permanent, congenital or acquired by heredity, accident, injury, advanced age, or illness.

Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (VAWA) Crimes

The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 requires that institutions report incidents of sexual assault, domestic and dating violence (also known as ‘intimate partner violence), and stalking in its annual security report. The following federal law definitions apply to this reporting requirement. In addition, VAWA requires that institutions publish state law jurisdictions of the same crimes.

Domestic Violence:

Defined as a felony or misdemeanor crime of violence committed

  • by a current or former spouse or intimate partner of the victim;
  • by a person with whom the victim shares a child in common;
  • by a person who is cohabitating with, or has cohabitated with, the victim as a spouse or intimate partner;
  • by a person similarly situated to a spouse of the victim under the domestic or family violence laws of the jurisdiction in which the crime of violence occurred; or
  • by any other person against an adult or youth victim who is protected from that person’s acts under the domestic or family violence laws of the jurisdiction in which the crime of violence occurred.

Dating Violence:

Defined as violence committed by a person who is or has been in a social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with the victim. The existence of such a relationship shall be determined based on the reporting party’s statement and with consideration of the length of the relationship, the type of relationship, and the frequency of interaction between the persons involved in the relationship.

  • For the purposes of this definition, dating violence includes—but is not limited to—sexual or physical abuse or the threat of such abuse. Dating violence does not include acts covered under the definition of domestic violence.

Stalking

Defined as a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to fear for the person’s safety or the safety of others or suffer substantial emotional distress.

Arrest and Referrals for Disciplinary Action

Drug Law Violations

Violations of laws prohibiting the production, distribution, and/or use of certain controlled substances and the equipment or devices utilized in their preparation and/or use. The unlawful cultivation, manufacture, distribution, sale, purchase, use, possession, transportation or importation of any controlled drug or narcotic substance, including: opium or cocaine and their derivatives (morphine, heroin, codeine); marijuana; synthetic narcotics (Demerol, Methadone); dangerous non-narcotic drugs (barbiturates, Benzedrine). Violations of state and local laws, specifically those related to the unlawful possession, sale, use, growing, manufacturing, making of narcotic drugs.

Liquor Law Violations

The violation of laws or ordinances prohibiting the manufacture, sale, transporting, furnishing, possessing of intoxicating liquor; maintaining unlawful drinking places; bootlegging; operating a still; furnishing liquor to a minor or intemperate person; using a vehicle for illegal transportation of liquor; drinking on a train or public conveyance; and all attempts to commit any of the aforementioned. (Drunkenness and driving under the influence are not included in this definition.)

Weapon Law Violations

The violation of laws or ordinances prohibiting the manufacture, sale, purchase, transportation, possession, concealment, use of firearms, cutting instruments, explosives, incendiary devices, or other deadly weapons. This classification encompasses weapons offenses that are regulatory in nature. Agencies must include manufacture, sale, or possession of deadly weapons; carrying deadly weapons, concealed or openly; using, manufacturing, etc., of silencers; furnishing deadly weapons to minors; possession of deadly weapons by aliens; and attempts to commit any of the above.