WVU releases annual Clery Act report

At a time of increased focus on campus safety nationwide, consistency in proactive community policing from the West Virginia University Police Departmentis reflected in the latest Clery Act report.

"Every day, our sworn officers, campus safety officers, dispatchers and other staff members work diligently to ensure our University students, faculty, staff and visitors are able to learn and work in a safe environment," said WVU Police Chief Sherry St. Clair.

"This is more than a job, it's a calling, and one that we take personally as members of this University community ourselves."

In the main crime categories, 2024 statistics largely remained in line with the previous year except for reports in three categories: burglaries, which increased from 10 in 2023 to 25 in 2024; domestic violence, which increased from 24 in 2023 to 32 in 2024; and stalking, which increased from 24 in 2023 to 42 in 2024.

"Many of the reported instances of stalking stemmed from unwanted contact following breakups or other relationship issues," St. Clair said.

See the full Clery Act report.

A summary of crime and fire safety for the WVU Morgantown Campus, Health Sciences - Eastern Division, Health Sciences - Charleston Division, and School of Nursing - Bridgeport Campus, the annual Clery Act report covers the number of reported crimes, as defined in the federal Clery Act, but not investigation outcomes.

Under the Stop Campus Hazing Act - an amendment to the Clery Act - hazing is now a Clery-reportable crime, and any reportable hazing statistics starting with calendar year 2025 will be included in next year's report.

With the change, the University and other higher education institutions are required to:

• Publish hazing transparency reports bi-annually, when applicable, to highlight institutional policies related to hazing and summarize findings concerning any established or recognized student organization found to be in violation of the WVU standards of conduct relating to hazing as defined in the Campus Student Code. The first report will be published in December.

• Create or continue to maintain a hazing prevention program that is research informed, campuswide and designed to reach faculty, staff and students.

• Create a public webpage where the hazing transparency reports will be published in a central location. Visit the webpage.

As in previous years, the report includes crime statistics provided by outside police agencies statewide that have jurisdiction on Clery geography which, in addition to on-campus locations, includes public property within or immediately adjacent to campus, and in or on noncampus buildings or property that WVU owns or controls.

Requests for paper copies of the Clery Act report can be submitted by phone at 304-293-2677 (COPS) or 304-293-3136, by mail to 886 Chestnut Ridge Road, Morgantown, WV 26505-3136, or in person at WVU Police Headquarters located at the same address.

Find more information about WVU Police.

Emergency calls should be directed to 911 or 304-293-3136.

Information about emergencies and incidents on or near campus is available by registering for the WVU Safety Notification System.

Downloading the LiveSafe app and turning on push notifications allows for direct and discreet two-way communication with police along with important safety messages. Other LiveSafe features include a panic alarm for immediate police assistance and SafeWalk, allowing students and other users to share their locations.

Additional safety information is available through the WVU Safety and Wellness Facebook page, @WVUsafety on X and @wvusafetyofficial on Instagram.

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sj/9/23/25

MEDIA CONTACT: Shauna JohnsonExecutive Director of Strategic CommunicationsWVU Strategic Communications and Marketing304-293-8302; [email protected]

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