After protests, Columbia University considering peace officers with arrest power on campus

By Lisa Rozner

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    NEW YORK, New York (WCBS) — After protests that had to be broken up by the NYPD, Columbia University is considering expanding the capabilities of its public safety officers this fall, including possibly giving them the power to arrest people.

Days of unrest on the campus, including smashed windows and barricades and the occupation of Hamilton Hall, scarred the spring semester at Columbia University.

That came to an abrupt halt when the school called in the NYPD.

In hopes of avoiding a repeat in the fall, university president Minouche Shafik is proposing the school add peace officers to its security personnel.

What can peace officers do and how are they trained?

“If you’re afforded or awarded the peace officer status, you no longer have to cross-connect with the NYPD to make an arrest,” former NYPD Lt. Darrin Porcher explained.

Porcher said peace officers can take people into custody if they break the law on campus, and also bring them to jail.

“This is something that was long overdue,” Porcher said. “The peace officer status for campus security is nothing new, when we look at institutions such as Yale, Harvard, etc.”

Porcher says it requires officers take a class, and an exam.

Antisemitism on campus still a problem, some say

Eliana Goldin, co-chair of Aryeh: Columbia Students Association for Israel, feels this will not resolve the problem of antisemitism on campus.

Goldin said there’s also distrust after three administrators were removed from their roles last month.

“They’re skipping a really crucial step, which is they need to enforce their rules, which is when they threaten suspension, they actually have to suspend students,” Goldin said.

She said she’d like to see masks banned at protests.

“The leadership has proved itself incapable of bringing us to that place of calm and safety, so I’m just expecting for the worst,” Goldin said.

With the Israel-Hamas war intensifying, and the upcoming presidential elections, some students are expecting more protests.

“The truth is, I expect protests to get worse,” Baker said. “I would like to see a little bit more moral clarity. What are the boundaries for engagement on campus? What are the kinds of things that undermine Columbia’s mission?”

Mixed feelings among students and alumni

“That actually makes me feel more safe on campus,” Columbia University student Elisha Baker said.

“I think it should be up to the NYPD to make those decisions,” Morningside Heights resident Chris Colbert said.

“They could bring order to campus faster than the time it takes for the police to get here,” Columbia University student Patrick Deniso said.

“It’s perfectly appropriate to call in the police when its, when studies are impeded,” alum Laura Mahalel said.

Columbia’s statement about the possible change

Columbia University did not make anyone available for an on-camera interview Tuesday. In a statement, the university said:

“President Shafik and the university leadership team take their responsibility for the safety and wellbeing of the entire university community seriously. The university has been using the summer both to learn from the lessons of the past academic year and plan for the next one.

Through a process of internal consultations and learning from across other higher ed institutions, 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.

As part of this consultative process, we are looking at various ways to supplement our public safety capabilities. We seek to strengthen the department’s skills and training in de-escalation techniques, expanding the department’s ability to manage a range of incident while taking into account the fact Columbia does not have its own police force, as many peer institutions have, and potentially reducing our reliance on the NYPD.”

Shafik is still seeking input from faculty. It’s not clear if, how or when her idea to allow campus police to make arrests would become a reality.

The union representing campus security officers said it would be a positive step, but the university failed to inform them about the proposal:

“Hiring more security officers is a positive step from a university that woefully mismanaged protests earlier this year. 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,” TWU Local 241 President Alex Molina said. “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.

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