Thursday, February 10, 2000
Bill would require college police logs
Parents, others push for reports of crimes, fires
BY ANDREA TORTORA
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FRANKFORT — The parents of a Murray State University student killed in a 1998 dorm fire testified Wednesday for a bill that would require Kentucky's public and private colleges to keep a daily, public log of all campus crime.
The bill would also require that schools notify the state fire marshal's office of any fire or threat of fire.
Kentucky colleges have been criticized for not fully reporting crimes on campus, a criticism that escalated after the Murray State fire.
Gail and John Minger said universities must take the reporting of crimes seriously. “No more sweeping it under the rug,” Mrs. Minger said. “No more false sense or illusion that everything is fine.”
The Mingers, an assistant state fire marshal and a representative of the Kentucky Press Association testified before the House Education Committee. The committee ran out of time before a vote could be taken and will hear the issue again next week.
Five days before the fatal Sept. 18, 1998, fire in Murray State's Hester Hall, a smaller arson fire evacuated the dorm. The college never notified the fire marshal's office of that fire. When parents and students asked for information, they were told not to worry.
The second fire was set in the same place as the first. Michael Minger died in that fire.
The Michael Minger Act mirrors federal crime reporting criteria that all colleges are supposed to be following, said Jennifer Hall, a lawyer who worked on the bill.
Jack Flowers, assistant state fire marshal, said he was upset about not being notified of the first fire.
“I can't say the (second) fire could have been prevented,” Mr. Flowers said. “But when we show interest in these fires, they generally stop.”
The bill would also:
• Require schools to notify the campus community of crimes on campus.
• Require schools to submit annual campus safety and security reports to the Council on Postsecondary Education.
• Set a minimum $500 fine for those not reporting crimes to the proper authorities or not keeping the daily log.
Many universities already do some of these things. Mr. Wayne wants it to be universal.
At Northern Kentucky University, a crime log is kept at the Department of Public Safety and is available for review. “Campus Crime Alerts” are posted in dorms and school buildings.
The Northerner, NKU's student newspaper, publishes a weekly crime log with information provided by the Department of Public Safety.
“We have a very aggressive approach to reporting crime and safety issues,” said Mark Shanley, vice president for student affairs. “We even tell students of incidents on other campuses through our residence life newsletters.”
Rep. Tom Kerr, D-Taylor Mill, said he wants the bill expanded to include the reporting of hate crimes and other incidents like terroristic threatening.
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