HB154

WHAT HAPPENED TO HB154 DURING THE 2005 VIRGINIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY?

When the campus Police fail in their duties, students become victims of poor University standards. To remedy this situation, House Bill 154 was introduced during the 2006 Virginia Legislative Session by Delegate Ken Alexander, D-Norfolk. This Bill's focus was to mandate that local law enforcement have primary jurisdiction when felony crimes (rape and murder) occur on college campuses. Unfortunately, the Bill was absorbed into HB1036, which simply requires Campus Police to be "better trained".

While the VA Tech Campus Police began their "investigation" of a supposed "domestic" issue (ie shootings in a dormitory), 2 hours passed before the next set of shootings occurred.

Perhaps local law enforcement action during those two hours could have saved 30+ students from being gunned down in class. Many people do believe that if the campus police had notified the local and state police immediately upon receiving the 911 call of the shootings in Ambler Johnston AND locked down the campus, the students would not have been in class and would not have been killed. It is speculation, but it forces us to ask the question, "What can we learn from this tragedy?"

The current focus is to improve mental health information exchange - but what if Cho did not have a documented mental health issue? Past tragedies provide scenarios where the killers have no known documented mental health issue. What do we "blame" then?

University Presidents should not bear the responsibility for felony crime investigations. Put the task where it belongs - with local law enforcement.

We urge everyone with media resources to report on the failure of the Virginia Legislature to pass HB154 during the 2006 General Assembly. The Legislature had the opportunity to toughen campus crime laws and they failed miserably at their job.

STATUS SUMMARY OF HB 154

	12/28/2005 Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/06 066046208
	12/28/2005 Referred to Committee on Education
	01/18/2006 Assigned to Education sub-committee: Higher Education (Rust)
	01/23/2006 Referred from Education
	01/23/2006 Referred to Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety
	01/27/2006 Incorporated by Militia, Police and Public Safety (HB1036-Hamilton)

SUMMARY OF HB154

Campus police; certain reports required; participation and cooperation in investigations. Requires, regardless of whether a public or private institution of higher education has entered into a mutual aid agreement to maintain peace and good order with the governing bodies of localities pursuant to § 15.2-1727, the campus police chief or other chief law enforcement officer of such institution of higher education or his designee to immediately notify the primary local law-enforcement agency of the jurisdiction in which the institution is located of (i) the death of any person on the property of the institution when such person is medically unattended and (ii) any report alleging a rape has occurred on the property of the institution. Campus police and all other employees of such institution of higher education must participate in any subsequent investigation and cooperate with the-law enforcement agency leading the investigation. This bill was incorporated by HB1036.

HB154: Campus police; local law-enforcement agency to be notified of certain reports.

HOUSE BILL NO. 154

Offered January 11, 2006

Prefiled December 28, 2005

A BILL to amend and reenact § 23-234 of the Code of Virginia, relating to campus police; certain reports required; participation and cooperation in investigations.

----------

Patron-- Alexander

----------

Referred to Committee on Education

----------

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 23-234 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 23-234. Powers and duties; jurisdiction.

A. A campus police officer appointed as provided in § 23-233, or appointed and activated pursuant to § 23-233.1, may exercise the powers and duties conferred by law upon police officers of cities, towns, or counties, and shall be so deemed, including but not limited to, the provisions of Chapters 5 (§ 19.2-52 et seq.), 7 (§ 19.2-71 et seq.), and 23 (§ 19.2-387 et seq.) of Title 19.2, (i) upon any property owned or controlled by the relevant public or private institution of higher education, or, upon request and in compliance with § 15.2-1727, on any property owned or controlled by another public or private institution of higher education; and upon the streets, sidewalks, and highways, immediately adjacent thereto,; (ii) pursuant to a mutual aid agreement ~~provided for~~ in accordance with § 15.2-1727 between the governing board of a the relevant public or private institution and such other public or private institution of higher education~~, public or private,~~ in the Commonwealth or adjacent political subdivisions,; (iii) in close pursuit of a person as provided in § 19.2-77,; and (iv) upon approval by the appropriate circuit court of a petition by the local governing body for concurrent jurisdiction in designated areas with the police officers of the county, city, or town in which the institution, its satellite campuses, or other properties are located. The local governing body may petition the circuit court pursuant only to a request by the local law-enforcement agency for concurrent jurisdiction.

B. Regardless of whether a public or private institution of higher education has entered into a mutual aid agreement to maintain peace and good order with the governing bodies of localities pursuant to § 15.2-1727, the campus police chief or other chief law- enforcement officer of such institution of higher education or his designee shall immediately notify the primary local law- enforcement agency of the jurisdiction in which the institution is located of (i) the death of any person on the property of the institution when such person is medically unattended and (ii) any report alleging a rape has occurred on the property of the institution.

After providing notification of any medically unattended death or alleged rape to the primary local law-enforcement agency of the jurisdiction in which the institution is located, the campus police chief or other chief law-enforcement officer and all other employees of such institution of higher education shall participate in any subsequent investigation and cooperate with the law-enforcement agency leading the investigation.

This website was created to inform Parents, Students, and Alumni about the University of Virginia's ineffective response to the crime of sexual assault. Support "ZERO TOLERANCE FOR RAPE!"

Alumnae and Undergrads: We are seeking information on the following:
1) Witnesses for a pending lawsuit that involves a UVA Alumni. If you (or someone you know) were made to have non-consensual sex with the male pictured on the homepage anytime during 2003-2006, you may be able to provide key evidence for an upcoming civil trial.
2) Survivors - Did you take your case to the Albemarle Commonwealth Attorney Rick Moore, only to be turned away? Were you upset by any of the comments made to you by the Police or Commonwealth Attorney's office? During a Take Back the Night Rally, several women shared comments about the comments made to them by these offices. We'd like to chat with these women and explore the similar way the cases have been handled.

Contact us immediately because IF YOU STAY SILENT, NOTHING WILL CHANGE. ALL comments and tips will be treated with complete anonymity. Send your e-mail to uvarape@cox.net. It's the right thing to do.

Contact uvarape@cox.net
Created to support all UVA Victims of Rape and Sexual Assault.
Site Information last updated on 30 Aug 2007.