Columbia University leaders are considering giving police additional arrest powers and other powers not currently given to campus security guards, according to a new report.
After anti-Semitic agitators camped out on school grounds for weeks before breaking into a nearby building, barricading themselves and demanding that Israel stop fighting back against the Hamas terrorist group in the Gaza Strip, school officials confirmed they were considering improving training and expanding the powers of their public safety department while reducing reliance on the NYPD.
The expansion could see additional designated police officers added to campus security teams as university officials seek to curb disruption as they prepare for the looming start of the fall semester. The Wall Street Journal It was reported on Tuesday.
Where’s Shafik? Columbia University president keeps a low profile, fights to keep job amid campus anti-Semitism
Anti-Israel activists block the entrance to Hamilton Hall at Columbia University in New York City on April 30, 2024. (AP/Marko Postigo Strel)
“president [Minouche] “Mr. Shafiq and the university leadership take seriously our responsibility for the safety and well-being of our entire university community,” a university spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “The university has used the summer break to learn from lessons from the past academic year and plan for the next academic year.”
The school came under fire from Jewish students who said leaders had not done enough to confront the agitators who camped on its lawns and were accused of sparking anti-Semitic confrontations, while some faculty and staff defended the group and blocked other students and media from entering the campsite.
A masked figure smashes a window to gain entry to Hamilton Hall at Columbia University in New York City on April 30, 2024. (Alex Kent/Getty Images)
“Through internal consultations and learning from other higher education institutions, we are preparing for a range of possible scenarios, with a focus on ensuring the university’s academic and research activities can be maintained,” the spokesman said.
“As part of this consultation process, we are looking at various ways to supplement our public safety capabilities. While taking into account the fact that the Columbia Police Department, unlike many peer agencies, does not have its own police force, we aim to strengthen the department’s skills and training in de-escalation techniques, expand the department’s capacity to manage a range of incidents and reduce reliance on the NYPD.”
On April 30, 2024, masked agitators barricaded themselves inside Hamilton Hall at Columbia University in New York City. (Alex Kent/Getty Images)
Columbia University condemns campus anti-Semitism as anti-Israel protesters heckle Johnson
Shafik asked the NYPD to intervene after weeks of anti-Semitic demonstrations on campus, including when protesters took over the university building Hamilton Hall and blocked its doors, drawing criticism from supporters of anti-Israel groups.
The decision to have police remove the agitators prompted the campus chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, to call for a vote of no confidence in Shafik and other Columbia administrators, including the entire Board of Trustees.
No injuries were reported when the NYPD retaken Hamilton Hall from the occupiers, but the AAUP described the operation as a “horrific police attack” and claimed it had received reports of violence against protesters, including one person who was left unconscious.
A small but influential group of faculty members also opposes stricter rules governing campus protests, including that current rules do not allow security guards to physically assault students, The Wall Street Journal reported.
An anti-Israel protester holds a flag on the roof of Hamilton Hall at Columbia University on April 30, 2024 in New York City. (Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“There is no middle ground. Either do nothing and let the protesters do what they want, or call the NYPD,” James Applegate, a professor and member of the University Board of Trustees, told the paper.
Former NYPD inspector and New York City Mayor Eric Adams decried the “sleazy” campus environment that fostered such behavior, and authorities later clarified that nearly half of those arrested in the building were not Columbia students.
Anti-Israel students at Columbia University set up a camp on the school’s West Lawn. (Michael Lewis/Fox News Digital)
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Last month, the university also fired three senior staff members who were accused of sharing anti-Semitic text messages.
The anti-Semitic environment has led some of the university’s billionaire donors to publicly question their financial support of the institution.
Columbia University President Nemat Minush Shafik (Fox News Digital)
Supporters of Students for Justice for Palestine, one of the groups organising anti-Israel demonstrations across the country, say they are conducting peaceful protests.
But several Columbia students who claim to be authorized to speak on behalf of the group declined to discuss their activities in interviews with Fox News Digital.
