Do you think you would be notified if a convicted sex offender was teaching your class or living in your dorm?
Before the U.S. Congress passed the Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act on Oct. 28, campus police were restricted from notifying the University community of sexual predators living or working among it.
Megan's Law, implemented in 1996, mandated all area residents be informed when a convicted sex offender moved into their neighborhood — though, this law never applied to college campuses.
In 1999, Rep. Matt Salmon, District 1, R-Ariz., took up the issue with the federal government and pushed to supply University communities with the same level of information residential neighborhoods receive.
"To me, it's unconscionable that women on campuses do not receive notification when a rapist or sex offender is enrolled," Salmon said to Congress when he introduced the situation.
Salmon's act requires college campuses to notify students of registered sex offenders enrolled or working on campus.
"[The law is] essentially intended to close the loopholes that prevent campus police from protecting their community the same as every other community does," said Daniel Carter, vice president of Security on Campus, a non-profit watchdog to keep campuses safe, who co-sponsored the bill with Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz.
Carter said the passing of the bill was a collaborative effort between Salmon's original work, Kyl's office and Security on Campus.
Although it was passed into federal law, states now must individually adopt the legislation.
States such as California have already adopted the act, but Arizona has yet to follow its lead. Any state that does not adopt the act by Sept. 30 will risk losing general federal funds.
Keith Jennings, public information officer for ASU police, said the legislation is great because it's important for students and faculty to be aware of their surroundings and have knowledge of sex offenders on campus.
Jennings said offenders registered within Tempe are already warned to stay off campus and notifications are posted.
"Tempe has already done an excellent job," he said.
Jennings said plans to notify the campus of offenders working or attending ASU would include online postings. Also, residents of on-campus housing would be notified if an offender moved in. Jennings said campus police are already working to implement the law.
Currently, there are no such offenders employed on campus and no students who have been convicted above a level one offense, such as public masturbation, according to Jennings.
He said a level two offense usually includes allegations of touching without penetration and a level three offense when the offender is classified as a predator convicted of serious crimes such as rape.
Communities are required to report level three offenders.
The act also requires campuses to include the number of offenders enrolled or employed in their annual crime statistics report.
Reach the reporter at megan.rudebeck@asu.edu.
