Campus Police are failing to warn the University about campus crimes. How much do we know of crime? Not much, and apparently the State Hornet isn?t the only group who isn?t getting the full story.

WEAVE (Women Escaping a Violent Environment) has complained to the Federal Department of Education that Sac State is failing to ? among other things ? report crime statistics each year to students.

This does not at all surprise the State Hornet, which has repeatedly attempted to get information, only to be given the runaround. Rather than simply answer straightforward questions about crimes, the public information officer for the Campus Police frequently demands that news organizations fax any questions they might have, which he responds to by fax, sometimes days later.

We suppose the campus should be happy crime victims aren?t required to fax in 911 requests.

This lack of communication lies in Public Information Officer John Hamrick?s hands. According to the Campus Police, Hamrick ? who is paid $54,408 by the state for faxing ? is overburdened with media demands for information. If this is true, the department should consider using the monies it makes from the exhorbitant fines for jaywalking to hire another public information officer. Or maybe just reassigning an officer from the jaywalking beat to assist Hamrick in providing information to the campus.

Why?

Because it?s the law and the students need to know.

A federal law ? The Clery Act ? requires that schools report crime data compiled from a variety of school authorities, including campus police.

But even without a federal law requiring it, the Campus Police should be more forthcoming about what is going on around campus. Prospective students, current students, faculty and staff deserve to know what crimes are being committed and what ? if anything ? is being done by Campus Police to apprehend those responsible.

And it?s not just questions about violent crimes that are being ignored, even requests for information on jaywalking citations have gone unanswered for days.

The Campus Police must act now in the interest of the students. The silence coming from the department headquarters is deafening.