The University of Minnesota is considering changes to its campus police force operations in response to concerns from students and employees who want to see the department held to higher standards.
A campus safety committee tapped by U President Joan Gabel has called for the school to stop deploying its police force to assist other law enforcement at police brutality protests away from campus. The committee also wants U leaders to evaluate the campus police department's weaponry and emphasize the use of less-lethal alternatives.
"There's no question that we all want a safe campus environment, but we want it to be safe in every sense of the word," Gabel told the Board of Regents on Friday, nodding to the university's efforts to both reduce crime near campus and take seriously the concerns of students who fear police.
More students began scrutinizing the University of Minnesota Police Department after the the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis officers raised awareness of police brutality. Some students have called for the U's cops to be disarmed and subject to citizen oversight.
An outside expert hired by the U found some students and employees feared being harmed by campus cops, while others expressed support for police and concern about crime near campus. Among many recommendations, the expert suggested the U consider an "unarmed policing approach" and better distinguish when its officers should be deployed off campus.
The campus safety committee, which consists of...
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