Crime Alerts: Racialization

Universities issue crime alerts, so students can take precautions that would prevent future crimes. In the United States, university police are required to issue these alerts by the Clery Act, which is intended to protect students’ physical and emotional well-being. Such alerts usually include [Page 317]suspect descriptions of recent crimes and refer to the suspect’s race. However, utilizing race in this way can harm students of color who fear that they may be targeted as suspects despite their innocence. This entry provides background on the purpose of crime alerts as detailed in the Clery Act, and how that purpose can be subverted when universities attempt to follow Clery Act regulations with racial suspect descriptions.