Crime Definitions

Liquor Law Violations

The violation of laws or ordinances prohibiting: the manufacture, sale, transporting, furnishing, possessing of intoxicating liquor; maintaining unlawful drinking places; bootlegging; operating a still; furnishing liquor to a minor or intemperate person; using a vehicle for illegal transportation of liquor; drinking on a train or public conveyance; and all attempts to commit any of the aforementioned. (Drunkenness and driving under the influence are not included in this definition.)

Drug Abuse Violations

Violations of state and local laws relating to the unlawful possession, sale, use, growing, manufacturing, and making of narcotic drugs. The relevant substances include: opium or cocaine and their derivatives (morphine, heroin, codeine); marijuana; synthetic narcotics (demerol, methadones); and dangerous non-narcotic drugs (barbiturates, benzedrine).

Weapon Law Violations

The violation of laws or ordinances dealing with weapon offenses, regulatory in nature, such as manufacture, sale, or possession of deadly weapons; carrying deadly weapons, concealed or openly; furnishing deadly weapons to minors; aliens possessing deadly weapons; and all attempts to commit any of the aforementioned.

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Murder & Non-Negligent Manslaughter

The willful (non-negligent) killing of one human being by another. NOTE: Deaths caused by negligence, attempts to kill, assaults to kill, suicides, accidental deaths, and justifiable homicides are excluded.

Murder by Negligence

The killing of another person through gross negligence.

Robbery

The taking, or attempting to take, anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of force or violence and/ or by putting the victim in fear.

Aggravated Assault

An unlawful attack by one person upon another for the purposes of inflicting severe or aggravated bodily injury. This type of assault is usually accompanied by the use of a weapon or means likely to produce death or great bodily harm.

Burglary

The unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or a theft. For reporting purposes this definition includes: unlawful entry with intent to commit a larceny or a felony; breaking and entering with intent to commit a larceny; housebreaking; safe-cracking; and all attempts to commit any of the aforementioned.

Motor Vehicle Theft

The theft of a motor vehicle. Note: A “motor vehicle” is a self-propelled vehicle that runs on the surface of the land and not on rails,  automobiles, buses, recreational vehicles, trucks, motorcycles, motor scooters, trail bikes, mopeds, snowmobiles, and golf carts.

Arson

Willful or malicious burning or attempt to burn with or without intent to defraud a dwelling house, public building, motor vehicle or aircraft, personal property of another, etc.

Larceny

The unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property from the possession, or constructive possession, of another person.

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Dating Violence

Violence committed by a person who is or has been in a social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with the victim. The existence of such a relationship shall be determined based on the reporting party’s statement and with consideration of the length of the relationship, the type of relationship, and the frequency of interaction between the persons involved in the relationship. For the purposes of this definition, dating violence includes, but is not limited to, sexual or physical abuse or the threat of such abuse. Dating violence does not include acts covered under the definition of domestic violence. Any incident meeting this definition is considered a crime for the purposes of Clery Act reporting.

Domestic Violence

A felony or misdemeanor crime of violence committed by a current or former spouse or intimate partner of the victim; a person with whom the victim shares a child in common; a person who is cohabitating with, or has cohabitated with, the victim as a spouse or intimate partner; a person similarly situated to a spouse of the victim under the domestic or family violence laws of the jurisdiction in which the crime of violence occurred; any other person against an adult or youth victim who is protected from that person’s acts under the domestic or family violence laws of the jurisdiction in which the crime of violence occurred.

Hate Crime (Hate/Bias Incidents)

Any criminal offense (murder, assault (simple assault), aggravated assault, intimidation, destruction of property, robbery, burglary, larceny, sexual assault, stalking, burglary, arson, and motor vehicle theft) that manifests evidence that the victim was intentionally selected because of the perpetrator’s bias against the victim. Bias categories under the Clery Act involve the victim’s actual or perceived: race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, ethnicity, national origin, and disability.

Hazing

Any intentional, knowing, or reckless act committed by a person (whether individually or in concert with other persons) against another person or persons regardless of the willingness of such other person or persons to participate that:

• Is committed in the course of an initiation into, an affiliation with, or the maintenance of membership in, a student organization; and
• Causes or creates a risk, above the reasonable risk encountered in the course of participation in the institution of higher education or the organization (such as the physical preparation necessary for participation in an athletic team), of physical or psychological injury including-
  • Whipping, beating, striking, electronic shocking, placing of a harmful substance on someone's body or similar activity;
  • Causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing sleep deprivation, exposure to the elements, confinement in a small space, extreme calisthenics, or other similar activity; 
  • Causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing another person to consume food, liquid, alcohol, drugs, or other substances;
  • Causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing another person to perform sexual acts;
  • Any activity that places another person in reasonable fear of bodily harm through the use of threatening words or conduct;
  • Any activity against another person that includes a criminal violation of local, State, Tribal, or Federal law; and
  • Any activity that induces, causes, or requires another person to perform a duty or task that involves a criminal violation of local, State, Tribal, or Federal law. 

Sexual Assault

An offense that meets the definition of rape, fondling, incest, or statutory rape as used in the FBI’s UCR program.   

Sex Offenses

Any sexual act directed against another person, without the consent of the victim, including instances where the victim is incapable of giving consent.

• Rape - The penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.

• Fondling - The touching of the private body parts of another person for the purpose of sexual gratification, without the consent of the victim, including instances where the victim is incapable of giving consent because of his/her age or because of his/her temporary or permanent mental incapacity.

• Incest - Sexual intercourse between persons who are related to each other within the degrees wherein marriage is prohibited by law.

• Statutory Rape - Sexual intercourse with a person who is under the statutory age of consent.

Stalking

Engaging in a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to fear for the person’s safety or the safety of others or suffer substantial emotional distress. For the purpose of this definition:

• Course of conduct means two or more acts, including, but not limited to, acts in which the stalker directly, indirectly, or through third parties, by any action, method, device, or means, follows, monitors, observes, surfeits, threatens, or communicates to or about a person or interferes with a person’s property.

• Reasonable person means a reasonable person under similar circumstances and with similar identities to the victim.

• Substantial emotional distress means significant mental suffering or anguish that may, but does not necessarily, require medical or other professional treatment or counseling.

• Any incident meeting this definition is considered a crime for the purposes of Clery Act Reporting.