Administrators, minority students meet to address Public Safety policy

In the wake of accusations that minority students have been treated unfairly by proctors, a small group of student leaders met with University administrators yesterday to discuss the role of Public Safety on campus.

Andria Boateng '02, chair of the Third World Center, said the meeting was organized to address the minority community's concerns about Public Safety. "There has been some discomfort with Public Safety in the minority community and we wanted to open a dialogue about Public Safety protocol," she said.

The meeting served as a forum for discussing minority issues and may lead to policy changes and a Public Safety department that is more sensitive to the concerns of minority students, said Jameil Johnson '02, president of the Black Men's Awareness Group.

Johnson said he believes Public Safety treats minority students differently, noting the language used in a campus alert posted in March about the sighting of what appeared to be a handgun in Chancellor Green.

He explained that many minority students were offended by the campus alert because it was too vague and "could have been describing any black male on campus."

"We met right after the incident with students and three proctors," Johnson said. "They listened to what we had to say but told us that we needed to talk with administrators."

Yesterday's meeting afforded students the opportunity to discuss minority issues with those who make policy decisions. Vice President for Finance and Administration Richard Spies GS '72, who also attended the meeting, explained, "It was a good way for us — the people with administrative responsibility — to hear what students feel."

Students and administrators also proposed some changes to Public Safety's operating guidelines, said USG president PJ Kim '01, who attended the meeting. "Instead of just putting up fliers, they are developing an e-mail list to notify students" about safety concerns, he said. "It's a much more uniform way to alert students. There are no random flyers floating around."

Public Safety reorganized its law enforcement procedures in a 1993 general order issued to all personnel. The order reads, in part, "Under no circumstances will any individual or group be challenged based on race or ethnicity."

Many students, according to Kim, do not know of the guidelines governing Public Safety and thus may not be aware if officers act inappropriately. "If students knew that there are policies like this, more students would complain," he said.

The group that met yesterday has tentatively proposed meeting twice per semester to maintain an open dialogue, according to Johnson.

Spies said that student input is essential to improving relations between Public Safety and minority students. "I think we can always do better," he said. "I hope that this will make a big difference and prevent students' concerns from going unaddressed."