Bias Incident Investigations

Policy on Discrimination, Harassment and Bias Incidents

Stevens takes bias incidents, discrimination, and harassment seriously. The Policy on Discrimination, Harassment and Bias Incidents sets forth expectations for all members of the Stevens community and for non-community members visiting the Stevens campus or participating in University programs.

Bias Incidents

The New Jersey Attorney General defines a bias incident as any confirmed or suspected act committed

(1) with purpose to intimidate an individual or group of individuals because of race, color, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, or ethnicity; or (2) knowing that the conduct constituting the offense would cause an individual or group of individuals to be intimidated because of race, color, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, or ethnicity. 

N.J.S.A. 2C:16-1(a)

Bias Incident Investigation Policy

By order of the Attorney General’s Bias Incident Investigation Standards (Standards), issued on April 5, 2019, the Stevens Campus Police Department announces its Bias Incident Investigation Policy. 

Each New Jersey law enforcement agency is required to conduct a thorough and complete investigation of all suspected or confirmed bias incidents. The Stevens Campus Police Department has issued a departmental directive incorporating the Standards including, but not limited to, the requirements for investigating bias incidents on the Stevens Campus, as follows:

When the assigned detective/officer arrives at the scene and determines that the situation may be a bias incident they shall assume control of the bias incident investigation and follow the “Investigator Requirements” as set forth in the Standards following the “Guidelines for Confirming Bias Incidents” criteria. If, after applying the criteria and asking the appropriate questions, a suspected bias incident cannot be definitively determined to be any other type of incident or is a borderline case, it will be treated as a bias incident for continuing investigation purposes. 

In all suspected instances of a bias incident the Chief of Police must be notified as soon as possible. All bias incidents must be investigated thoroughly by the Stevens Campus Police Department and the victim(s) must be kept informed of the progress of each investigation.

All police agencies are required to report electronically through the Electronic Uniform Crime Reporting portal (eUCR). A bias incident report must be submitted by the investigating detective/officer as soon as practical but not more than 24 hours after the initial law enforcement response. The investigating detective/officer must immediately notify the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office and New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice Bias Crimes Unit if there is a bias crime associated with specific crimes detailed in the Standards. When a bias incident report is submitted through eUCR, the information is automatically forwarded to the Bias Crimes Unit at the Division of Criminal Justice, the New Jersey State Police, the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, and the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office.

The Stevens Campus Police Department will work closely with Stevens’ diversity education staff and all other appropriate school administrators to ensure that victim services are provided for all Stevens’ students and community members that are suspected or confirmed to be victims of a bias incident. Special emphasis will be placed on victim assistance and community relations in order to reduce victim trauma and community tension or fear.

All members of the Stevens Campus Police Department have undergone mandatory training on responding to bias incidents. This training has included, but is not limited to, training sessions entitled “Cultural Diversity, De-Escalation and Bias Crime Reporting” and “Law Enforcement & the LGBTQ+ Community". The members of the Stevens Campus Police Department who have received advanced training in responding to bias incidents make up the department’s Bias Crimes Unit. 

Report Bias Incident

Anyone wishing to file a bias incident report concerning an incident that occurred on campus or involves a member of the Stevens community should contact Campus Police at 201-216-5105