The SMU Police Department tracks and records crimes occurring on all SMU campuses and in those areas immediately contiguous to the main campus as well as any crimes which occurred on public property, as defined in the regulations. The SMU Main Campus and SMU-in-Taos patrol area maps are available online at smu.edu/police.
Geography
Statistics must be disclosed if a reported crime occurred in an area defined as SMU’s Clery geography. The Department of Education classifies Clery geography into three categories: On Campus, Public Property, and Non-Campus. Clery crimes that occur in residential housing are reported as a sub-category within the On Campus geography.
On Campus is described as:
• any building or property owned or controlled by an institution within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area and used by the institution in direct support of, or in a manner related to, the institution’s educational purposes, including residence halls; and
• any building or property that is within or reasonably contiguous to the area identified in the previous bullet of this definition, that is owned by the institution but controlled by another person, is frequently used by students, and supports institutional purposes (such as a food or other retail vendor). Federal regulations require that SMU report all crimes that occur on property that is contiguous to campus. On Campus statistics include a sub-category of residential housing statistics.
A residential housing facility is defined as any student housing facility that is owned or controlled by the institution, or is located on property that is owned or controlled by the institution, and is within the reasonably contiguous geographic area that makes up the campus. On SMU’s campus, this includes any buildings housing Greek organizations in which some members reside as well as any non-residence hall apartment housing.
Non-Campus is any building or property owned or controlled by SMU that is used in direct support of, or in relation to, SMU’s educational purposes, is frequently used by students, and is not within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area of the institution; or any building or property owned or controlled by a student organization that is officially recognized by the institution.
Public Property includes thoroughfares, streets, sidewalks, and public parking facilities, that is within the campus, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from campus. The jurisdiction of the SMU Police Department does not extend to public property contiguous to the campus, therefore, the department has a limited role in investigating criminal activity at these locations. The department’s role is limited to information sharing, cooperation and coordination with the investigating local law enforcement agency.