There has been no change in its policy on releasing police reports. Brogan says, he is optimistic that the school will change its policy toward more access. And he believes more access will, in the end, lead to more safety. The issue of safety is what is at the core of this debate, Brogan says. Daniel Carter, vice president of the nonprofit advocacy group Security On Campus, says the safety of students is the driving force behind the recent legislative changes in reporting campus crime.
Students have to be informed in order to protect themselves.
At the University of Dayton, Brogan says students are realizing that their rights are not being violated by allowing more access to campus security records. Along with commercial news organizations, the University of Dayton student body has been supportive of The Flyer in getting the school to change its policies. But for the most part, student newspapers on campuses where the Higher Education Act amendments are already being followed are noticing the difference. He says the open records make it impossible for the campus police to hide information from student reporters. They are now confident that incidents are not being covered up.