From: maybelle.bennett@howard.edu
Subject: Community Feedback Requested on Proposed Expansion of University Campus Police Jurisdiction
Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 14:22:19 +0000
Dear Neighbors:
Please circulate this announcement among your networks.
Dear Community Partner:
You are invited to attend the first Howard University Community Advisory Committee meeting of the year, which will be held on Thursday, January 29th at 6:00 p.m. at the Howard University Community Association office located at 2731 Georgia Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001.
The sole agenda item will be the proposed University Safety Act which is designed to align District law with federal regulations under the Clery Act which requires colleges and universities to disclose information about crime that occurs on and around their campuses. We welcome community feedback on provisions in the proposal.
The law being proposed would:
• expand the area around the campus deemed subject to the reporting of crime statistics;
• give universities broader authority to address student misconduct that takes place off-campus; and
• give the Mayor or a university President the ability to request the assistance of other campus police personnel in cases of emergency, thus allowing the Metropolitan Police Department to focus their resources elsewhere.
Thank you for helping us inform our neighbors of this meeting.
Maybelle Taylor Bennett
Director
Howard University Community Association
2731 Georgia Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20001
Ph: (202) 806-4771
Fx: (202) 667-5964
Has there been an increase of crime on campus? Has the nature of crime on campus changed? Has Howard been remiss is reporting crime? Why expand police powers for an institution if there is no real need?
ReplyDeleteAs someone who has had to call the police on some very out of control parties by students, I don't see much of a downside to this proposal. Seems like a good way to better integrate Howard security and MPD, allowing Howard security to manage misconduct of their students that rent in our neighborhood.
DeleteAs someone who has lived in the neighborhood for over 20 years I've never had to call the police on Howard Students for "misconduct" or any other reason. I tend to reserve police calls for actual crimes not "misconduct" of college students.
DeleteI don't mind parties, I was in college once, but I do consider parties that spill into my driveway and involve people urinating on it, sitting on my car and scratching it, and breaking bottles on my property actual crimes. Hey, that's just me.
DeleteFor those who may not know, the students living in the area are know for some really over the top parties that spill into the streets at all hours of the night. I am glad Howard is doing this. A lot of time you have no choice but to call the police when a crazy party is occurring at 2am and you need to sleep to get to work the next day. Now Howard police maybe able to intervene instead. Prior to this they had no jurisdiction to do anything about it and if you called them they would just call MPD.
DeleteI've not had that experience with the students in the area and I have rented to many Howard students and know others in the area who have rented to them as well with good outcomes. Sorry you've had that experience.
DeleteRay you are very fortunate....speak with the neighbors on unit block of W, 100 block of Adams, 100 block of W and 100 block of Channing and you can hear horror stories about Howard students and their conduct.
ReplyDeleteMona, and there are many "fortunate" people like me. I too have heard horror stories, not necessarily about Howard students and THEIR conduct however.
ReplyDeleteThat is always the case until you end up with the party house right next door. I assure you, you will sing a different tune then. Many a neighbor has been confused about the Howard students complaints until they are on the receiving end of a 6hr party and someone is making a toilet out of your backyard.
ReplyDelete