Policing & Campus Safety

A reminder that we are still waiting to hear that President Steve Percy will #DisarmPSU. We can not imagine a better time for PSU’s administration to lead on questions regarding #blacklives mattering and to begin with removing the threat of fatal violence for our faculty, staff, students and community members of color. 

Of additional concern: as we consider coming back to campus, we have particular concern about the ways in which the protests have sparked a violent response from the Portland Police Bureau and a federal militarized force (who are these people?). PSU is located close to where these clashes are happening and our concerns about an overly militarized police dovetail with our concerns about the health, safety, and well-being of our PSU community returning to campus. If our University, local, and state governments could redirect funds away from CPSO and the Portland Police Bureau towards housing, jobs, and mental health resources, we know our campus and downtown community could be a much safer place.

https://www.wweek.com/news/2020/07/16/oregon-gov-kate-brown-says-president-trump-is-invading-portland-as-an-election-stunt/ 

https://www.portlandmercury.com/blogtown/2020/07/16/28645782/dhs-director-decries-violent-anarchists-taking-over-portland

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/portand-oregon-police-brutality-history-1027677/