Yale to open police records
In decision not to appeal FOIC ruling, University cites YPD’s ‘unique’ law-enforcement role in city
Yale University announced Friday morning that it would not contest the Freedom of Information Commission’s February ruling that mandated the Yale Police Department to disclose personnel files for two of its officers.
The FOI Commission’s ruling may be having positive effects in our state, too. Mass. House Bill 3249, the Campus Crime Information Bill, would likewise make private-university police subject to the disclosure rules that state police, municipal police, and public-university police already comply with.
H. 3249 is being supported by a coalition of the leading national and local campus-safety organizations, including Security On Campus Inc. and the Student Press Law Center, as well as neighborhood organizations, student newspapers, and students at MIT, Harvard, BU, Northeastern, and other private universities in the Boston area.
On Jan. 11, 2007, the bill was referred to the Joint Committee on State Administration & Regulatory Oversight. Ten days ago, the committee rejected most of the other 200+ bills under consideration, but it gave H. 3249 an extension. Its decision may have been influenced by the FOIC’s findings (http://www.state.ct.us/foi/2008FD/20080213/FIC2007-370.htm) that “the police power given to the YUPD, with its accompanying power to detain and arrest, is a fundamental governmental function that is capable of having a profound impact on private individuals” and that the university should make more of its officers’ records available to individuals requesting them.
In its recent press release, Yale supports the FOIC’s decision, acknowledging that it will have beneficial effects on the YPD’s police work. We believe that MIT, Harvard, Boston University, and other private universities here now have an opportunity to take the lead by actively supporting House Bill 3249, which will not only help private campus police throughout our state become more accountable to students and the community, but also make our campuses safer.
Dan McAnulty, Marjan Rafat & other members of the MIT Crime Club
crimeclub@mit.edu
web.mit.edu/crimeclub/www/