During the 2020 school year, campus reports of violations such as drug usage or assault have decreased for the most part, when compared to previous years, according to this year’s Clery Report.

This may be due to the fact that many students were not on or near campus due to the pandemic and virtual learning. 

The Clery Report includes crime statistics on the Shadyside and Eden Hall campuses, as well as nearby public properties and non-campus properties, such as Graham Field in Wilkinsburg and Highmark Stadium in Station Square. 

Every college is legally required to publish an annual report in accordance with The Clery Act. This act was passed in 1990 after Lehigh University student Jeanne Clery was raped and murdered by another student in her dorm room. 

On the Shadyside campus, the majority of the violations occurred in residential facilities. A total of 36 of the year’s 38 violations were in the residential facilities. This is consistent with past years. 

There was four sexual assault violations, which is down one from the previous year. There were no dating violence reports, compared to one in 2019. 

There was one reported motor vehicle theft, along with one burglary, in 2020. Neither of these violations occurred in 2019 nor 2018.

According to a past Communiqué police log, it appears that theft occurred on Sept. 24, 2020 at 4 p.m. The missing vehicle was stolen from the Pelletreau Apartment parking lot. The vehicle was then recovered in a different neighborhood. Those who stole the car were consequently found and arrested.

However, it is unclear how serious the burglary was, along with the details of the crime. This burglary doesn’t appear to have been reported in the Communiqué’s fall 2020 police logs or in the early spring 2020 police logs. It is possible that this event happened towards the end of the spring semester or over the summer months. 

The 2020 report also had three drug law violations that led to disciplinary action, compared to eight in 2019. While the numbers of 2020 liquor law violations have slightly gone down from 2019, there were still 29 reported — compared to 31 in 2019.

Students are able to report dating violence and sexual crimes to both the health center and the counseling center. Student Health Services can be contacted at 412-365-1714. Counseling services can be contacted at 412-365-1282 or [email protected].

There are resources for students to report any incidents. For emergencies, students can call 412–365–1111. For non-emergencies, students can call 412–365–1230.

The entire report can be viewed on Chatham’s website. View coverage of the 2019 Clery report on the Communiqué website.