BREAKING NEWS UPDATE — Geneseo Police Chief Eric Osganian has been front and center in the Rochester media for his remarks to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle and 13 WHAM News last Friday regarding a New York Inspector Generals probe into SUNY Geneseo’s alcohol and drug crime reporting practices.
Osganian confirmed that he was contacted by the Inspector General’s office in the spring. “It was not my intention to slam the college. I was inclined not to comment, but with the Inspector General’s office already taking some documents out of the campus files, the cat was already out of the bag.”
State investigators asked him if the college keeps village police in the loop when there are ambulance calls for underage alcohol and drug incidents. “When there’s an alcohol overdose that an ambulance is called for on campus, we don’t usually get called for it,” he said. Osganian knows this because the ambulance department itself notifies the village.
“Going to college down there for four years myself, I know there are no bars down there,” observed Osganian. “Unless people are buying alcohol and bringing it onto campus, they’re drinking it in the bars or off-campus parties. I think the gap is in following up where the alcohol is being consumed.”
On the other hand, the college does report to Osganian when there are off-campus crimes and other concerns. The college also calls the village when there are major on-campus crimes like rapes and sexual assault.
The college and village police departments have a written agreement that village police only come on campus upon the college’s request — and that the college must notify the village whenever an investigation leads campus police off-campus.
While the Inspector General’s office has declined to comment, Osganian speculates that the inspection centers around how the college follows the Clery Act, which requires that colleges and universities accurately report crime statistics to the U.S. Department of Eduction. Violations carry fines of up to $27,500.
In response to press inquiries, SUNY Geneseo has issued the following written response:
The New York Inspector General’s Office has requested information from SUNY Geneseo regarding University Police alcohol and drug law enforcement records. The College is cooperating fully with this request. SUNY Geneseo takes its Clery Act responsibilities and all other law enforcement obligations seriously and remains committed to ensuring campus safety to students, faculty, staff and visitors. University Police at Geneseo are sworn police officers trained and certified in New York State — and instructed by campus management — to uphold state and federal laws.
Osganian acknowledges that, if SUNY Geneseo began involving the village police in every ambulance call, it could increase the workload for the small force of eight officers by about 100 cases a year.
“We’ll do the work,” he said. “Absolutely. The end result would be, maybe, fewer intoxication calls.”