Fellow students,
I want to first express my deep concern over the series of violent and criminal incidents on our campus over the past few weeks. Through my role as student body president, I’ve been in contact with MU Police Department Chief Jack Watring to ensure everything that can be done to protect members of the MU community is indeed being done.
On that note, I’d like to address criticism I’ve heard of the Clery Releases MUPD has provided to ensure students are aware of these troublesome acts. Clery releases from university police are mandated by the Clery Act, legislation that benefits students by keeping them informed on campus crime.
However, in the past few weeks, I’ve heard criticism from students that these reports incite racial discrimination through their descriptions of suspects, many of whom are believed to be African-American males. I would like to clarify that there is no racial bias behind these Clery releases and that MUPD is required by law to report suspect descriptions exactly as victims or witnesses provide them — without adding or removing any information. It is up to the victim or witness to provide as many details as possible to make sure our campus police can catch the suspect or suspects.
MUPD works with the information they are provided by victims, many of whom might be physically or mentally impacted to a point that they have trouble recalling details of a criminal act.
It is important for students to ask tough questions about crime on our campus and ensure these acts are portrayed accurately through Clery releases. However, as someone who has communicated with MUPD on this issue, I feel the need to say what I can to sincerely express that MUPD works with the limited information it receives and racial discrimination does not play into the Clery releases students receive.
I urge you to take whatever reasonable precautions you can to remain safe on our campus and utilize safe ride services such as STRIPES and the Tiger Line bus system. Also, it is important to watch and report suspicious actions on campus. Don’t just be a bystander, actually take action and call for help. Together we can work for a safer Mizzou.
