The Clery Act and campus crime stats

The Chronicle of HIgher Education has a story that discusses the Clery Act and its effectiveness. The Clery Act is a federal law that requires colleges to send the government lengthy reports on campus crime each year, detailing their policies and tallying their total crimes. It was intended to inform families, to change students' behavior, and to keep them safe. But research on the use of the reports shows that very few students look — and even those who seek solid information can't find it. The article concludes that the Clery Act has created more bureaucracy on campus yet the information on campus crimes tends to be deceptive and confusing.