The Department of Public Safety and the Division of Campus Life and Student Services released a new brochure this week outlining what students can expect if they are stopped by DPS officers and how they can pursue concerns about student-officer interactions.
Students received the brochure, titled "Your Basic Rights and Responsibilities When Interacting with Law Enforcement," in their campus mailboxes. The pamphlet is also available online on the DPS Web site.
Discussions with the Public Safety Oversight Committee led to the publication of the brochure, according to Interim Vice President for Campus Life and Student Services Russell Carey '91 MA'06. The alleged incidents of police brutality that occurred in September sparked conversations about students' awareness of their rights and brought to light the need for better information and education "in an accessible, proactive way," Carey said.
The guidelines in the pamphlet will "serve as the necessary catalyst" to encourage mutual respect between officers and students, wrote DPS Manager of Special Services Michelle Nuey in an e-mail to The Herald. The brochure outlines how students can expect to be treated by officers and offers advice to help students make good decisions during encounters with officers. Nuey wrote that this is intended to alleviate student anxiety during interactions with law enforcement officers.
"We realize being stopped by an officer can be a bit intimidating," Nuey wrote. "However, students need to understand that officers play a very specific role here on campus and strive to keep our community safe."
Asking students to provide identification is "often critical" to maintaining community safety, Nuey wrote. She added that student cooperation during field stops "really does assist DPS in providing a safe and secure environment."
The pamphlet also informs students about how to provide feedback to DPS about their interactions with officers. This will result in improved communication and understanding, Nuey wrote.
The publication of the pamphlet builds on DPS' ongoing efforts to increase information available to students, Carey said. The information in the brochure was available to students before, but the pamphlet makes it quick and easy to read, he said.
Associate Vice President for Campus Life and Dean of Student Life Margaret Klawunn also said the brochure makes information more accessible to students.
"The information was available, but not in a way that was cognizant to students," she said. "The pamphlet is an attempt to put something out there that would be very clear."
