TACIR staff outlines campus emergency‑communications study, flags retention and reporting gaps

TACIR staff reported that a study required by Senate Bill 2827 and House Bill 2729 will examine how colleges and universities route, store and report emergency communications and related records.

Research manager Bob Morio summarized statutory background: Tennessee’s College and University Security Information Act (1989) and the federal Clery Act (Jean Clery/Clery Act) establish overlapping but not identical reporting obligations. Morio said institutions must submit an annual security report (ASR) under Clery and that Tennessee’s law requires postsecondary institutions to report crimes to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation; differences in geographical definitions and reporting rules can produce divergent counts among an institution’s Clery report, its ASR, and TBI publications.

Morio said staff interviewed campus police at six Tennessee postsecondary institutions and found wide variation in retention practices. He told commissioners there are no federal or Tennessee laws that require colleges to save campus‑police call recordings for a specified period and that 26 states do set retention periods for 911 or related recordings, ranging from 30 days to 10 years. Staff recommended the commission consider whether state guidance or resources (for records management systems) might improve compliance and public understanding of campus crime reporting.

Members asked staff to confirm whether TCATs, community colleges and four‑year universities are included in the review, whether recent K–12 school resource officer legislation affects campus reporting, and whether campus police records are subject to the Tennessee Open Records Act; staff said they will examine and report back. TACIR staff plans a draft report for the next meeting and will solicit input on additional institutions and questions to include.