TEST

If your numbers aren’t matching up, don’t be afraid to ask questions. In my investigation, I couldn’t figure out why the number of sexual assaults in the annual crime report didn’t match the number that showed up in the daily crime log. It seemed like they should match, because they’re both required under the Clery Act. But I called and asked and figured out that location was the problem.

University police forces respond to calls that are unaffiliated with the university altogether or are outside of Clery Act jurisdiction, so the numbers reported in the crime log are higher than the annual report.

Once you have the information you need, organize it all. Put it in a spreadsheet or whatever works for you. Figure out what questions you have remaining. Once you have the questions, you can look through the list of people you’ve contacted thus far and find who’s most likely to know the answer to your question.