Report 2017-032 Recommendation 14 Responses

Report 2017-032: Clery Act Requirements and Crime Reporting: Compliance Continues to Challenge California's Colleges and Universities (Release Date: May 2018)

Recommendation #14 To: Bakersfield College

To ensure that it does not underreport crime statistics in its annual security reports, Bakersfield should create and begin following written procedures by August 2018 that clearly describe the Clery Act crime identification processes it will follow. These processes should include maintaining contemporaneous lists of Clery Act crimes that occur.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From November 2020

The college has developed written procedures that describe the Clery Act crime identification process and ensures the accurate reporting of crime statistics as well as the maintenance of contemporaneous lists of Clery Acts that occur. Additionally, we have updated the College Safety Department's report writing system to include a drop down menu listing all Clery Reportable crimes, along with definitions for each crime. This will assist us in the accurate and real time reporting and identification of Clery Crimes and the overall accuracy of our reported crime statistics.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Fully Implemented

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From November 2019

Bakersfield College has updated its Department of Public Safety Policy and Procedure Manual to include routine Clery Act crime training requirements for officers, Clery Act crime definitions and the requirement of the Clery Act Committee to review all Clery Act Crimes and Reports for consistency prior to publication each year (See attached BC DPS P&P Manual).

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Partially Implemented

Bakersfield has not yet demonstrated that it is maintaining a contemporaneous list of Clery Act crimes that occur on its campus. Until it does so, we will continue to report this recommendation as partially implemented.

1-Year Agency Response

As stated in our previous response, the college has developed written procedures; however, we have not yet developed a contemporaneous list of Clery Act crimes. We plan to begin using such a list in August 2019.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Partially Implemented

6-Month Agency Response

The College has developed written procedures to accurately report crime statistics and clearly describe the Clery Act crime identification process. These procedures ensure maintenance of contemporaneous lists of Clery Act crimes that occur. This is now incorporated into the established manual, the Department of Public Safety, Policy and Procedure's Manual (BCDPS Manual).

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Partially Implemented

Although Bakersfield developed written procedures addressing our recommendation, it did not provide evidence of maintaining contemporaneous lists of Clery Act crimes.

60-Day Agency Response

The College developing written procedures to accurately report crime statistics and clearly describe the Clery Act crime identification process in an internal manual entitled BC Department of Public Safety: Internal Operating Manual. These procedures ensures maintenance of contemporaneous lists of Clery Act crimes that occur. This will be accomplished by August.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

Bakersfield College subsequently informed us that it is still in the process of developing procedures for maintaining contemporaneous lists of Clery Act crimes. Accordingly, we are assessing the status of this recommendation as pending.

All Recommendations in 2017-032

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.