Reporting Crimes and Other Emergencies

The University has a number of ways for campus community members and visitors to report crimes, serious incidents, and other  emergencies to appropriate University officials. Regardless of how  and where you decide to report these incidents, it is critical for the safety of the entire Penn State New Kensington community that you immediately report all incidents to the University Police and Public Safety office, Director of Student Affairs, Security, or to the Upper Burrell Police (weeknights after 11 p.m. and on weekends) so there is an appropriate investigation to determine if follow-up actions are required, including issuing a Crime Alert or emergency notification.

Voluntary Confidential Reporting

If crimes are never reported, little can be done to help other members  of the community from also becoming victims. We encourage University  community members to report crimes promptly and to participate in  and support crime prevention efforts. The University community  will be much safer when all community members participate in safety  and security initiatives.

If you are the victim of a crime or want to report a crime you are  aware of, but do not want to pursue action within the University  or criminal justice system, we ask that you consider filing a voluntary, confidential report. Depending upon the circumstances of the  crime you are reporting, you may be able file a report while maintaining your confidentiality. The office of University Police and Public Safety as well as the Upper Burrell Police Department will accept confidential reports. Additionally, all campus incidents or crimes can be reported confidentially to the Director of Student Affairs, Chancellor or the Director of Business & Finance.

The purpose of a confidential report is to comply with your wish to keep your personally identifying information confidential, while taking steps to ensure your safety and the safety of others. The confidential reports allow the University to compile accurate records on the number and types of incidents occurring on campus. Reports filed in this manner are counted and disclosed in the Annual Security and Report. In limited circumstances, the department may not  be able to assure confidentiality and will inform you in those cases.

Anyone may call office of University Police and Public Safety, Office of Business and Finance, Director of Student Affairs, or Security (after hours) to report concerning information. Callers may remain anonymous.

Reporting to University Officials

We encourage all members of Penn State New Kensington community to report all crimes and other emergencies to office of University Police and Public Safety, the Office of Student Affairs, the Security Office, or the Upper Burrell Police Department, in a timely manner. The office of University Police and Public Safety should be notified of any crime, whether or not an investigation continues, to assure the University can assess any and all security concerns and inform the community if there is a significant threat to the University community.

Emergency Phones

The University has installed emergency phones in most elevators located on campus. The elevator phones ring the office of University Police and Public Safety during normal work hours. After normal business hours, the calls are forwarded to a mobile phone carried by campus security officers.

Anonymous Reporting

If you are interested in reporting a crime, you can utilize the Penn State online reporting form. By policy, we do not attempt to trace the origin of the person who submits this form, unless such is deemed necessary for public safety. You can also submit tips through Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers at 1-800-4-PA-TIPS or via the Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers’ website (http://www.crimewatchpa.com/crimestoppers/submit-tip).

Reporting to Other Campus Security Authorities

While the University prefers that community members promptly report all crimes and other emergencies directly to the office of University Police and Public Safety, the Security Office (after hours), or the Upper Burrell Police at 911, we also recognize that some may prefer  to report to other individuals or University offices. The Clery Act  recognizes certain University officials and offices as “Campus Security Authorities (CSA).” The act defines these individuals as “official of an institution who has significant responsibility for student and campus activities, including, but not limited to, student housing, student discipline, and campus judicial proceedings. An official is  defined as any person who has the authority and the duty to take  action or respond to particular issues on behalf of the institution.”

While the University has identified CSAs at University Park as well as all of our commonwealth campuses, we officially designate the following as places where campus community members should report crimes.

Pastoral and Professional Counselors

According to the Clery Act, pastoral and professional counselors who are appropriately credentialed and hired by Penn State to serve  in a counseling role are not considered Campus Security Authorities when they are acting in the counseling role. As a matter of policy,  the University encourages pastoral and professional counselors to notify those whom they are counseling of the voluntary, confidential  reporting options available to them.