‘A positive step from a university that woefully mismanaged protests,’ union leader says
Columbia University is considering adding “peace officers” with arresting power to its security staff, prompting mixed reactions after the tumultuous protests that occurred during the last academic school year.
“University leadership take its responsibility for the safety and wellbeing of the entire university community seriously,” spokesperson Kendall Easley told The College Fix in a recent email. “The university has been using the summer both to learn from the lessons of the past academic year and plan for the next one.”
The proposal came from former President Minouche Shafik as the prestigious New York institution faces continued criticism about its responses to antisemitism and pro-Palestinian protesters, the Wall Street Journal reported. Shafik resigned in August.
Easley said university leaders have been “looking at various ways to supplement our public safety capabilities and strengthen the department’s skills and training, particularly in de-escalation techniques.”
One of the proposals would give campus security arresting powers and add “peace officers” to its approximately 290-person staff, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The proposal “is still in early stages but could lead to peace officers with the authority to arrest and physically contact a student; current campus officers can do neither except under exceptional circumstances including self-defense,” according to the report.
Easley told The Fix that university leaders have been working to address security concerns “through a process of internal consultations and learning from across other higher ed institutions.”
Additionally, “we are preparing for a range of scenarios that may arise, with a focus on being able to maintain the academic and research operations of the university,” Easley said.
Increasing security has support from some faculty and staff.
Alex Molina, president of the Transport Workers Union Local 241, which represents Columbia custodians and other staff, said it would be a step in the right direction.
“Hiring more security officers is a positive step from a university that woefully mismanaged protests earlier this year,” Molina told The Fix in a recent email.
In April, two custodians said pro-Palestinian protesters trapped them inside a university building and they had to “fight their way out,” according to a news release from the union.
“We are committed to keeping campus safe for students, faculty and staff — but Columbia failed to inform the union about hiring more Local 241 members who have the power to use physical force and perform arrests,” Molina told The Fix. “If the university is serious about not repeating past mistakes, it should engage with the union representing security officers on campus to discuss next steps.”
MORE: Imam tells Columbia students to ‘take out’ Jewish professor: video
Meanwhile, Ran Kivetz, a Jewish professor at Columbia’s business school, said he is disappointed in the lack of leadership regarding the out-of-hand protests.
“The public security was in small numbers, without authority, not blaming them, I am blaming the heads of the institution,” Kivetz told The Fix. “Those who are leading the institution … they’re the ones to blame.”
When the protests occurred on the campus, Kivetz said he felt unsafe. Recently, another Jewish professor at Columbia, Shai Davidai, called out a pro-Palestinian campus group for hosting an imam who encouraged them to get Davidai “in trouble” and “take [him] out.”
“Mentally and professionally and from other aspects, it feels terrible,” Kivetz said of the campus atmosphere.
However, the pro-Palestinian student coalition Columbia University Apartheid Divest opposes policing on campus.
In a recent op-ed at the Columbia Spectator, the coalition outlined a list of demands to the university, including divestment from Israel and no policing on campus.
“End the targeted repression of Palestinian students and their allies on and off campus, including through University disciplinary processes,” the coalition wrote. “Defund Public Safety and disclose and sever all ties with the NYPD.”
The coalition did not respond to The Fix’s requests for comment over the past two weeks regarding the security proposal.
Meanwhile, the organization Students Supporting Israel at Columbia University declined to comment to The Fix, stating it would be “inappropriate” since it has had “no involvement” in the security plans.
The fall semester began with more protests.
On the first day, chants of “We do not deserve a first day of school” could be heard from pro-Palestinian protesters with Columbia University Apartheid Divest, The Fix reported last week.
In a separate incident, the university’s iconic alma mater statue was vandalized with red paint by a group calling itself “Unity of Fields,” Instagram posts show.
MORE: Over 400 Harvard faculty join group launched to support Israeli students, scholars
IMAGE: Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine/X
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