Announcement

Campus Safety Preparations

October 06, 2024

In preparation for the potential of enhanced protest activity and disruptions on and around the anniversary of October 7, 2023, Public Safety is taking the following steps, consistent with our university’s mission and principles. As interim President Armstrong stated recently, we support the right to free expression at Columbia and believe deeply in the values of free speech, open inquiry, and rigorous debate. But those rights cannot come at the expense of the rights of others to live, work, and learn here, free from discrimination and harassment. These steps are part of the larger ongoing effort to safeguard free expression and open debate, and to ensure a safe, respectful campus environment for our community:

  • Training and Workforce Development. Public Safety has commenced Crowd Management and Protest Response Training; personnel have also participated in crisis management and negotiation training. Public Safety is also bringing in more experienced staff such as additional Sergeants and professional contract staff with additional relevant training. Customer service to the community is now highlighted during the shift roll call, and a new “greeter” post has been established at the campus gates. As President Armstrong noted, ongoing conversations with members of our community and surrounding neighborhood help inform developments and improvements. We continue to welcome such feedback.

  • Maintaining CUID only access at the Morningside Campus. Public Safety implements this access requirement around the clock: each entry gate on the Morningside campus is staffed with security personnel checking the CUIDs and visitor passes for each entrant. In the build-up to October 7 and beyond, professional contract personnel have been assigned to the main campus entry points to ensure entry compliance and to assist with visitor QR code verification.

  • Coordination with University Life to track and appropriately staff events. Upon notification of potentially sensitive events, event and student life leaders, in concert with Public Safety, conduct a review of the event characteristics (i.e., event location, size of the event, guest speakers, and topic) to determine if University Life Delegates and Public Safety presence is warranted and/or to make recommendations to the organizers on modifications to plans to help ensure a successful event for all. We are carefully monitoring all events leading up to October 7 and beyond, to ensure they are appropriately staffed.

  • Enhanced Escort Services. The Public Safety Escort Program provides 24/7 services for students on or within the immediate campus vicinity during demonstration activity along routes that avoid encountering the activity. Beginning October 1 and continuing through at least October 15, additional Public Safety personnel is available to respond to Safe Passage Escort requests.

  • Rapid Response Capability. Public Safety personnel are trained to report unusual activity and potential disruptions and to immediately report them to a Public Safety Supervisor who will report them to Leadership as needed. Beginning October 1, additional patrols have been added. If needed, Public Safety will coordinate with University Life for Delegates to engage with the individuals involved and to monitor the situation.

  • Public Safety management of protests/demonstrations/gatherings on campus. Public Safety assists in the management of protests, demonstrations and other gatherings by ensuring that the configuration of these events is safe -- including the establishment and maintenance of counter protest areas when needed; through appropriate staffing; and working with University Life to engage participants when necessary.

  • Deploying increased Public Safety staffing to conduct the following:

    • Increased vigilance due to heightened tensions in the Middle East. Increased vigilance for unattended packages and for immediate reporting of suspicious behavior or actions.

    • Increased foot patrols. At Morningside, beginning October 1, Public Safety has added 24/7, dedicated foot patrol assignments for numerous buildings on the Morningside campus. Patrols of the Morningside campus and the perimeter, available personnel for escort requests, and supervisor coverage has also been expanded during this period. In Manhattanville, there are additional foot patrols to monitor areas such as Geffen Hall, Kravis Hall, the Large Square (including a dedicated supervisor), Jerome L. Greene Science Center, the Forum and the Plaza. At CUIMC, from October 7 to at least October 11, there will be high-visibility staffing on the perimeter of the CUIMC campus, targeting areas of high pedestrian traffic, e.g., 168th Street, Haven Plaza, and SON. This is in addition to the mobile and walking safety escorts and mobile patrols 7-days per week at heavy pedestrian traffic areas during shift changes (e.g., subway at W. 168th Street and Broadway) already in place. A Public Safety supervisor is also assigned a vehicle on all tours for rapid response.

    • Vehicle Patrols. Supervisor vehicle patrols will continue to monitor for unusual activity near the surrounding Columbia area. Additionally, these supervisors will be able to respond to any unplanned disruptive activity on all campuses or in the vicinity of campus. From October 1 to October 15 and beyond, as needed, Public Safety is patrolling identified critical infrastructure locations frequently to ensure there are no concerns to report. These patrols are in addition to our daily routine patrols of these areas.

    • Bicycle/Perimeter monitoring. Nine more supervisors are now certified for Bike Patrol, which enables them to more readily monitor campus activity—including CUID swipe access to exterior buildings—and make more visits to officer posts for assistance and oversight.

    • Increased security presence at certain off-campus locations. On the Sabbath and High Holy Days, a supervisor will be present in the lobby of the Kraft Center in addition to the desk guard; beginning October 1, there will be a Public Safety vehicle in front of the Kraft Center during operating hours. Vehicles are patrolling the Chabad residence, the Kraft Center, and the surrounding areas around the clock. These additional measures are being taken as an added precaution given the buildings’ locations outside the CUID-only perimeter of the main campus.

    • Investigations staffing. From October 1 to at least October 15, Investigations is staffing an investigator on the afternoon tour to assist with any issues that may require a more detailed examination of any incidents (e.g., witness interviews; immediate investigation of discrimination and harassment complaints).

    • Enhanced contract guard services. Guards with advanced training and experience have been added to the Public Safety Operations team, and will be strategically deployed to monitor campus conditions for any unusual activity or gatherings, including placements at campus entry points.