Several years ago, a bag of Ruffles chips, some Little Debbie Nutty Bars and a set of two-way radios were stolen from a custodial room at the University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK). The total value of the loss was reported at $44.88. Six years later, this incident is costing UNK $10,000.

The gist of the dispute gets down to how the custodial room has been classified by the U.S. Department of Education in its review of the school's campus crime statistics.  UNK maintains the space is a public closet because it had no lock; the Department claims it is a private space because the incident report referred to the area as an "office" -- meaning any theft from it also entailed breaking and entering, which turns an act of larceny into a burglary.

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, first enacted in 1990, requires colleges to report crimes that happen on or near their campuses and to warn students and employees about ongoing threats to public safety. Under the Clery Act, the failure to report a burglary (but not a larceny) on a college campus results in a fine of up to $35,000 per violation. Thus, the Department's finding that UNK incorrectly categorized the janitorial theft meant the school violated the law, resulting in a $10,000 fine.

Congress last year expanded the law to include new categories of crimes that must be reported and to mandate training and prevention programs. The Department is in the process of finalizing rules to carry out those changes. According to news reports, many colleges are calling for the current fine structure and process to be changed to properly read campus maps. 

—Source: Roll Call