The University Police Department should have immediately notified students of the bias-motivated assault
Since the bias-motivated assault committed April 4 was made public late last week, the long response time from the University has been a point of concern for many. No safety alert was sent by the University Police Department because no weapon was used in the crime, rendering it a simple assault. Lieut. Melissa Fielding said simple assaults occur every day and the department must balance the usefulness of safety alerts with their frequency to maximize their impact. Though this is true, students should have been notified immediately of the bias-motivated assault.
At the time of the incident, the department’s policy on safety alerts was only to notify students when a weapon was used or when there was a likelihood for repetition of the crime. Fielding noted that bias-motivated crimes occur very rarely at the University and the last incidents were in 2005. That year, however there were three incidents of these crimes and all were racially motivated. This shows the potential for repetition of bias-motivated crimes when they do occur. Under the policy in place at the time the department should have notified students of the incident with a safety alert, especially because the perpetrators of the crime were not immediately caught and are still at large.
Since the incident, the department has changed its policy to send out a safety alert when a bias-motivated crime is committed. The department should be commended for recognizing its error and adjusting the policy so quickly. The updated policy, however, highlights that a safety alert was warranted under the original policy.
Student Council can and should do more than buy candles to support the LGBTQ communities
In response to the bias-motivated assault, Student Council passed a bill last night condemning anti-gay violence and supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer communities at the University. The bill also pledged $350 to purchase 1,000 candles for Thursday’s Stand Against Hatred event that will culminate in a vigil. It can do no harm to reaffirm the values of the University community following an act of blatant discrimination. But a bill cannot do very much to address the real issue of discrimination.
The sponsor of the bill, College representative Eugene Resnick, said Queer and Allied Activism requested money from Council for the event and Council President John Nelson said there was room in the Student Activity Fund budget to purchase candles for the vigil. Both Resnick and Nelson said the money for candles shows the tangible support of Council beyond just words. Nelson added because the vigil is in response to a recent incident and groups were unable to anticipate it in their budgets, Council is ideally positioned to help with funds. Though this is true, if Council wants to take a stand against anti-gay discrimination, it will have to do more than buy candles for one event.
To have a lasting impact in removing discrimination from the University community, Council should pair with QUAA and other groups and individuals to promote awareness and propose solutions. Resnick said academic legitimacy in the form of a Queer Studies Minor would be one example of greater support for LGBTQ communities. This bill is admirable, but further collaboration with LGBTQ communities is needed to find ways to remove discrimination from Grounds. If Council can propose solutions instead of just resolutions, it will have a better chance of addressing discrimination at the University.
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