The Clery Act requires that “institutions must issue a timely warning for any Clery Act crime that occurs within Clery geography that is: (i) reported to campus security authorities; and (ii) is considered by the institution to represent a serious or continuing threat to students and employees.” For the definitions of Clery Act crimes, please see Section 13 (definitions under state law are also included in Section 21 and Section 22). For the definition of Clery geography, please see Section 23.
According to the Clery Act, the timely warning must be issued in a timely manner and will withhold the names and personally identifying information about the victims as defined within Section 40002(a) (20) of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994.
The timely warning will aid in the prevention of similar crimes, which may include incidents where the WSU-Everett Security / EvCC Campus Security has identified a pattern of risk. A timely warning with respect to crimes reported to a pastoral or professional counselor is not required by WSU.
WSU issues timely warnings as described in the Timely Warnings and Emergency Notification Policy (UPPM 50.72). The policy applies to all locations that WSU has identified as Clery geography and are provided for Clery Act crimes that occur on Clery geography that:
- Are reported to campus security authorities (CSAs) or local police agencies, and
- Are considered by the University to represent a serious or continuing threat to the safety of students, employees, or other members of the campus community.
Examples of reported situations requiring a timely warning include, but are not limited to:
- Residence hall burglaries;
- Hate crimes;
- Serial rapes;
- Date rape druggings.
Timely warnings are issued when a Clery Act crime occurs on Clery geography that is reported to CSAs or local police agencies and represents a serious or continuing threat to the safety of students or employees. The decision to issue a timely warning is made on a case-by-case basis, considering the following factors:
- The nature of the crime or incident;
- The potential risk to the campus community;
- The need to avoid compromising law enforcement efforts; and
- The potential impact on ongoing investigations.
Timely warnings are not required with respect to crimes reported to professional counselors.
The following positions are designated as responsible for issuing timely warnings:
A timely warning may be issued for a crime or incident as deemed necessary or appropriate by the WSU-Everett Security / EvCC Campus Security. Taking into account the safety of the community, the officer-in-charge, or the above level, will assume the primary responsibility to determine the content, issue a timely warning notification, and initiate the appropriate elements of the notification system. In instances where there is a significant emergency or dangerous situation involving an immediate threat to the health and safety of students or employees occurring on the campus, WSU Everett will follow its emergency notification procedures (see Section 8). WSU-Everett Security / EvCC Security along with WSU Everett Administrators makes determinations as to when a timely warning may be issued, which may vary on a case-by-case basis. Some examples of matters requiring timely warnings include, but are not limited to:
- Investigations of a series of car thefts in one particular area
- Unsolved burglaries
- A pattern of drug dealings or activities that puts students at risk
Dissemination of a Timely Warning
Timely warnings are promptly distributed to the campus community through various channels, as appropriate, including, but not limited to any of the following:
- Email notifications to students, faculty, and staff (preferred distribution channel)
- Posting on the University’s official website
- University social media platforms (preferred distribution channel)
- Notices on bulletin boards in prominent campus locations
- Individual outreach to impacted individuals
- Host campus communication or alert systems.
All WSU students, staff, and faculty can subscribe and update their information for the WSU Alert system by accessing their MyWSU account portal.
Everett University Center faculty, staff, and students:
Please fill out the WSU Alert System Opt-In Form to receive emergency alerts through the WSU alert system.
WSU Everett Emergency Management uses “Clockwise Campus” to make emergency broadcasts inside of the University Center Building. A list of prerecorded messages is sent through the building’s notification system. The broadcast will reach everywhere there is a Clockwise speaker. The units are located in classrooms, labs, conference rooms, office spaces, hallways, and common areas.