The Community Crime Map, available through Columbus Police data, shows crimes in the University District. Alerts are sent out to students based on some of the crimes reported on the map or on-campus crime log. Credit: Lantern File Photo

Crime is at the forefront of students’ and parents’ minds as several notable violent crimes have occurred in the off-campus area since the beginning of the autumn semester.

One such instance, the fatal stabbing of Emily Foster last month near Iuka Park, left some community members wondering when a crime warrants a safety notice put out by the university, as none have been issued yet this semester. Dan Hedman, a university spokesperson, said in an email that no notification was issued because the “crime occurred off-campus in Columbus Division of Police jurisdiction.” 

Despite this, there are multiple types of alerts sent out, each with their own criteria.

According to the Ohio State Department of Public Safety’s website, Buckeye Alerts, Ohio State’s campus emergency notification system — most commonly in the form of text messages — are issued when it is determined that the campus community needs to take immediate action to remain safe. 

Buckeye Alerts are only issued for off-campus crimes if the crime is moving toward campus, such as the alert issued two years ago when someone was shot outside of Drinko Hall. 

Areas east of North High Street are considered to be off campus. 

“Based on a variety of factors, including when information becomes known, Ohio State Public Safety officials will determine which method, or combination of methods, may be utilized to communicate during an emergency,” Hedman said. 

Another form of alerts is Public Safety Notices, which are typically received by students after a crime has been committed. These are issued by the Ohio State Police Department and are used to spread awareness that a crime has occurred, according to the Department of Public Safety’s website.    

These notifications are in compliance with the Clery Act, a law that requires colleges and universities to report campus crime data. The notices are sent out when a crime occurs on Clery-reportable property. This includes all on-campus properties, public properties within and adjacent to campus properties and off-campus properties that are owned by the university. 

According to the Department of Public Safety’s website, there are four pieces of information that must apply to a crime in order for a Public Safety Notice to be issued: a crime had to occur, it must be on campus or Clery-reportable property, it must be a Clery-reportable crime and there must be a serious or continuing threat to the campus community. 

According to the Clery Act website, there are four categories of crimes that must be included by universities in their crime data. Criminal offenses — homicide or sexual assault — hate crimes, Violence Against Women Act offenses — domestic violence and stalking — and arrests and referrals for disciplinary action. 

Ohio State’s Community Crime Map is a relatively new feature for the university community to stay up to date on crime. Launched in March 2022, the map includes statistics from the Columbus Division of Police to show off-campus crime reports. 

Previously, the university used Neighborhood Safety Notices to issue reports when an off-campus crime occurred. Hedman said the transition from these notices to the crime map occurred due to student feedback. 

“In alignment with an independent report by Security Risk Management Consultants, and feedback from students, the university evaluated the method through which the university shares off-campus crime information for the Columbus campus and changed to a visual, map-based solution,” Hedman said. 

Hedman said the Community Crime Map is preprogrammed to show crime reports in a 1-mile radius and crimes shown on the map include burglary, robbery and sexual assault among others. 

Map users are able to sign up for crime alerts and can enter their home address to set up tailored alerts.

More information about university safety notices can be found on the Department of Public Safety’s website.