Columbia University officials are seeking to enhance police presence with arrest authority and other powers currently not granted to campus security personnel, based on a recent report.
The institution has confirmed efforts to enhance training for its public safety department and expand its powers while decreasing reliance on the NYPD, following weeks of antisemitic protests that saw agitators camping on campus before forcibly entering a nearby building and barricading themselves, demanding Israel halt its military response against Hamas in Gaza.
University administrators are aiming to curtail disruptions as the upcoming fall semester approaches. This planned expansion could introduce designated peace officers into the university’s security force, as reported by the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday.
WHERE IS SHAFIK? COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT KEEPS LOW PROFILE, FIGHTS TO KEEP JOB AMID CAMPUS ANTISEMITISM
Anti-Israel activists obstruct the entrance of Hamilton Hall at Columbia University in New York City on April 30, 2024. (AP/Marco Postigo Storel)
“President [Minouche] Shafik and the university leadership team are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of the entire university community,” a representative for the university informed Fox News Digital. “The institution has been utilizing the summer to reflect on the lessons learned from the previous academic year and to strategize for the upcoming year.”
The university faced backlash from Jewish students and others who claimed that leadership failed to adequately address the agitators, who camped on university grounds and were accused of instigating antisemitic altercations. Conversely, certain faculty members defended the demonstrators and even obstructed access to their encampment for other students and media personnel.
A masked individual shatters a window to gain entry into Hamilton Hall at Columbia University in New York City on April 30, 2024. (Alex Kent/Getty Images)
“Through extensive internal discussions and learning from other higher education institutions, we are preparing for various scenarios that might occur while focusing on maintaining the academic and research functions of the university,” the spokesperson added.
“This consultative approach involves examining numerous methods to enhance our public safety capabilities. We aim to bolster the department’s skills and training in de-escalation strategies while adapting to the fact that Columbia lacks its own police force, unlike many peer institutions, and potentially minimizing our dependency on the NYPD.”
Masked protesters barricade themselves inside Hamilton Hall at Columbia University in New York City on April 30, 2024. (Alex Kent/Getty Images)
SPEAKER JOHNSON CALLS OUT CAMPUS ANTISEMITISM AS COLUMBIA’S ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTORS HECKLE HIM
Shafik requested NYPD intervention after weeks of antisemitic protests culminated in activists occupying Hamilton Hall and barricading its entrances, leading to backlash from supporters of the anti-Israel factions.
The decision to involve police in clearing the protesters led the campus chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) to propose a vote of no confidence in Shafik and other Columbia officials, including the entire board of trustees.
No injuries were reported when the NYPD regained control of Hamilton Hall from the protesters, yet the AAUP condemned the operations as a “horrific police operation” and claimed to have received evidence of violence against the demonstrators, including an incident where one individual was knocked unconscious.
A small but influential faction of faculty members has also opposed tighter regulations on campus protests, according to the Journal report. Currently, security guards are prohibited from physically confronting students.
An anti-Israel demonstrator displays a flag atop Hamilton Hall at Columbia University in New York City on April 30, 2024. (Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“There’s no middle ground; it’s either do nothing and allow the protesters to act as they please or involve the NYPD,” remarked James Applegate, a professor and university senate member, as reported by the paper.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a former NYPD captain, condemned the “despicable” academic environment that he claimed fueled such behavior. Authorities later disclosed that nearly half of those arrested inside the barricaded building were not students at Columbia.
Anti-Israel students at Columbia University set up a camp on the West Lawn of the campus. (Micheal Ruiz/Fox News Digital)
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Recently, the university dismissed three senior staff members accused of sharing antisemitic messages.
The environment of antisemitism has led some of the university’s billionaire benefactors to publicly reconsider their financial commitments to the institution.
Columbia University President Nemat Minouche Shafik (Fox News Digital)
Supporters of Students for Justice in Palestine, one of the groups organizing national anti-Israel protests, claim they are engaging in peaceful demonstrations.
However, a number of Columbia students, authorized to speak for the group, chose not to comment on their activities when approached by Fox News Digital.
