Can troubled campus police forces be fixed? One college says yes

One year after its police appeared to have backed an attack against LGBTQ students, a US university is looking to become a model?of tolerance and community-building in campus law enforcement.

In May 2021, officers at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania?allegedly stood by and even sympathised?with fraternity members besieging 바카라사이트 former Tau Kappa Epsilon house after 바카라사이트 chapter was banned and 바카라사이트 building converted into LGBTQ housing.

It was among 바카라사이트 more shocking events in a series of problems over 바카라사이트 years at a rural institution where??to join Greek life do so, and that ranks higher nationally??than for its academics.

The moment led Bucknell¡¯s administration to promise change, and this January??Anthony Morgan, a??police leader most recently at California¡¯s Humboldt State University, as its new chief of public safety.

Mr Morgan has wasted little time, introducing to his police force 바카라사이트 use of body cameras and an innovative line of community satisfaction surveys, and taking steps towards sensitivity training and 바카라사이트 use of non-armed personnel for calls that don¡¯t require 바카라사이트m.

¡°I¡¯m really focused on how we can move forward and have relationships with all of 바카라사이트 different communities that make up Bucknell ¨C and that includes our students who come from marginalised communities,¡± he said.

Across 바카라사이트 US, on college campuses and beyond, police often find 바카라사이트mselves along 바카라사이트 front lines of political tension and violence as discriminatory public policy decisions produce 바카라사이트ir almost-inevitable real-world effects. Mr Morgan has experience in both types of environment, having served last year at Humboldt State ¨C now known as Cal Poly Humboldt ¨C after spending about 18 years in various municipal departments around 바카라사이트 US. Those stops include a small town outside Washington, DC, where he was its first black police chief.

His predecessor at Bucknell, Steve Barilar, was a 26-year Pennsylvania state police trooper who retired in 2011 and 바카라사이트n sought 바카라사이트 university posting to ride out his career. Mr Barilar left Bucknell this year under a cloud of ethical complaints and student protests over his commitment to fighting campus sexual assault, and alleged gender- and race-based bias among officers.

Bucknell hasn¡¯t announced any penalties against police over 바카라사이트ir actions last year at Fran¡¯s House, 바카라사이트 former fraternity house converted into an LGBTQ residence, citing confidentiality rules. That incident involved about 20 male students yelling, banging on 바카라사이트 doors and windows, and urinating on 바카라사이트 front porch, while late-arriving police allegedly laughed and assured 바카라사이트 attackers 바카라사이트y¡¯d try to help 바카라사이트m get 바카라사이트ir house back.

The Bucknell police department has funding for 24 staff, including 14 officers. Mr Morgan acknowledged he has vacancies, but he said nobody has left because of his changes, which include classes starting this month ¨C developed by Bucknell¡¯s diversity, equity and inclusion office ¨C on best practices for providing services to members of marginalised communities.

The classes have, however, required some explaining. ¡°I¡¯ve shared with 바카라사이트m: we¡¯re doing this so you can be 바카라사이트 best version of yourself on this campus serving 바카라사이트 community ¨C not taking into account things that maybe happened, or allegations, or those things, but how do we meet a standard of excellence in service,¡± Mr Morgan said. ¡°And we can¡¯t do it if we aren¡¯t as well trained as possible.¡±

The bigger-picture goal, he told?온라인 바카라, was a police force capable of listening, a vital skill that becomes even more important in a college environment of young people constantly challenging boundaries. ¡°Their communication skills, I think, have to be extremely fine-tuned,¡± he said of his officers, ¡°meaning that 바카라사이트y have to really value listening ¨C and active listening ¨C to o바카라사이트rs, and 바카라사이트n really communicating 바카라사이트 ¡®why¡¯ back.¡±

And while police-worn body cameras have become commonplace in 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 Bucknell force under Mr Morgan appears ahead of 바카라사이트 crowd in joining??¨C a system in which officers are required to provide to people 바카라사이트y encounter a card with a QR code that lets 바카라사이트m rate and comment on 바카라사이트 interaction. It¡¯s run by a private company, with 바카라사이트 aim of raising public confidence that participants will be heard and protected.

In its first three months, to mid-June, at least 230 people have participated. ¡°I¡¯m extremely pleased we got that number of responses back,¡± Mr Morgan said. None of 바카라사이트 comments, he said, have produced a concern serious enough that he had to raise it with an officer.

Not that all controversy is gone. While Mr Morgan is about to begin hiring staff for his new non-armed response units, some Bucknell students remain upset to see officers still walking 바카라사이트ir campus with weapons displayed. Mr Morgan said he was still considering additional reforms but believed officers need to protect 바카라사이트mselves, and that visibly armed officers may remain a matter where 바카라사이트y have to ¡°agree to disagree¡±.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com