Campus Safety

This report provides information regarding compliance with the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act. The "Clery Bill" (H.R.3344, S.1925, S.1930) was introduced in Congress on September 6, 1989, and was signed into law on November 8, 1990 by President George Bush as Title 2 of the "Student Right-To-Know and Campus Security Act." The bill was named for Jeanne Clery who was raped and murdered in her dorm room at Lehigh University in 1986. It took effect September 1, 1991 and the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) was charged with enforcing the law. The law required all institutions of higher education to release campus crime statistics and security policies to their current and prospective students or employees. Congress enacted this law, which was originally known as the "Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990."

View Western’s Annual Security Report (PDF)

Parking permits are required for the lots on the La Crosse main campus. There are a variety of permit options available. Learn more about parking permits at Western.

If you receive a parking ticket in a Western parking lot, you can pay it online. Citations issued on the streets by the City of La Crosse need to be paid to the City.

If you believe you received a ticket in error, visit our parking appeals page to learn about the appeals process.

In the City of La Crosse, Municipal Ordinance requires that bikes ridden within the City limits are licensed and registered. To register your bike, complete the form on the City of La Crosse website.

How to Avoid Employment Scams

Students across the country have also fallen victim to fraudulent employment scams which have resulted in financial loss. Past cases have shown criminal actors posing as professors or employees of reputable organizations. The criminals have contacted students and offered employment opportunities. The fraudulent employment scheme can leave students who are seeking employment and/or career-enhancing opportunities vulnerable to financial loss. It is important to be wary of unsolicited job opportunities. If a job offer comes from a college employee via email, the student should contact that college employee through official channels.

Additional tips can be found on the Federal Trade Commission’s website at https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/job-scams.

How To Avoid Financial Scams

Campus Community Safety and the Student Life, Equity, and Engagement Office would like to remind the campus community of fraudulent attempts used by criminals in order to obtain personal or financial information from individuals.

Telephone Scams

The criminals use phone spoofing equipment to make the number appear as it is coming from a legitimate organization. Often it will appear as a number from the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or a local police department number.

The criminals will use scare tactics such as:

• Stating you have a warrant for your arrest
• Vulgar language
• Not to contact anyone
• Will scare you from hanging up
• Attempt to keep you on the phone for the duration of the scam (sometimes lasting hours)

While it may be a frightening encounter, if any of this happens to you, hang up immediately, and YOU call the non-emergency number for your local police department.

There are a few things to remember that can help protect you:

• Hang up
• Call your local police department; if on the Western campus: 608-782-7575
• Governmental organization’s contact to you will be preceded by a formal letter with agency letterhead
• Governmental organizations will never ask for payment over the phone
• Payment will never be asked for via cryptocurrency (Bitcoin, Etherium, Z-Cash) or prepaid cash cards (iTunes, Amazon, Green Dot).

If you have any questions regarding this information, please do not hesitate to contact the Department of Campus Community Safety at 608-785-9191 or the City of La Crosse Police Department at 608-789-7200.

The Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act of 2000 (CSCPA) is an amendment to the Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act. The CSCPA requires sex offenders, who must register under state law, to provide notice of enrollment or employment at any institution of higher education (IHE) in that state where the offender resides, as well as notice of each change of enrollment or employment status at the IHE.  This information will then be made available by the state authorities to the local law enforcement agency that has jurisdiction where the IHE is located.  

Sex offender information in the State of Wisconsin is compiled by the Department of Corrections (DOC). The DOC website allows you to search their sex offender database online. To learn the identity of registered sex offenders on or near campus, or anywhere in Wisconsin, visit the Wisconsin Department of Corrections Sex Offender Registry. This site can be searched by zip code or by name.

Here's some helpful zip code information for conducting your search:

• Western's zip code is 54601
• La Crosse's zip codes are 54601, 54602, or 54603
• Holmen's zip code is 54636
• Onalaska's zip code is 54650
• West Salem's zip code is 54669
• Sparta’s zip code is 54656
• Tomah’s zip code is 54660
• Viroqua’s zip code is 54665
• Mauston’s zip code is 53948
• Black River Falls zip code is 54615
• Independence’s zip code is 54747

For more information on crime statistics, view Western’s Annual Security Report (PDF).