The Clery Act requires Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) to alert the campus community to certain crimes that are reported to campus security authorities or local police agencies, and are considered by the IHE to represent a threat to students and employees. These alerts must be done in a manner that is timely and that will aid in the prevention of such crimes. The Clery Act does not include a specific definition of “timely”. However, the intent of a timely warning is to enable people to protect themselves; therefore, warnings should be issued as soon as pertinent information is available. The decision to issue a timely warning should be made on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the nature of the crime, the danger to the campus community, and the possible risk of compromising law enforcement efforts. 

(The above language is referenced from the Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance Center.)