The MSU Black Students' Alliance hosted a town hall to discuss public safety and policing on campus with Vice President for Public Safety and Chief of Police Marlon Lynch.
The Monday night meeting served as an opportunity for students to learn about public safety and voice any concerns, especially following instances of racial discrimination on campus.
One Black Students' Alliance, or BSA, member brought up a June 8 incident in which a racist slur was found written outside the student services building by BSA Advisor Jason Worley. Lynch confirmed that the incident was reported to the MSUPD, and that an investigation was conducted but no one was charged. Lynch said that cameras will be installed at the student services building, “I’m hoping, by the end of the month.”
This, and other racial discrimination experienced by BSA members on campus, was a motivator for the town hall, BSA President and kinesiology senior Ty’Rianna Leslie said.
“We talked to a lot of administration, and basically what they told us was, ‘it’s hate speech, so there’s not much that can be done because it's not an actual crime,'” Leslie said. “That’s why we’re taking a lot of meetings right now with a lot of different administrators to let them know... How can (there be) accountability in these instances?”
Leslie said that these incidents "make Black students feel very unsafe," adding that they may contribute to a decrease in MSU's Black student population. MSU’s 2022-23 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion report shows a 6.1% decrease from fall 2021 to fall 2022 in total enrollment of Black students.
One BSA member asked Lynch about how MSUPD is working to "ensure Black students are protected from harm and discrimination on campus." Lynch, who said he experienced racism when he was a student at MSU, responded by saying “ensuring is a big word in that sentence there. I would say that steps are being taken.”
One of those steps includes implicit bias training for officers, Lynch said.
“One way to deal with it is through training,” Lynch said. “Now, everyone can’t be trained to the level that we would like them to be, but there’s annual training that goes on for our officers in regard to different biases.”
Lynch also cited an internal investigation process that is designed to hold officers accountable in the event of bias being present in an interaction, in addition to officers being required to turn body cameras on during every interaction.
The department also hired its first social worker last year and has been partnering with offices across campus, Lynch said. In an interview after the meeting, Lynch said that a social worker is a good alternative to police when it comes to providing welfare checks to students. Lynch added that in some welfare check situations, the extent of the police’s involvement should be limited to assessing the individual, and then referring them to a particular office.
“That’s a build on us and our desire to have a cold response to where we don’t rely on police for everything,” Lynch said. "... Some people are comfortable talking to the police, others may not be."
Lynch proposed an additional step: for the MSUPD and BSA to partner.
“The idea is creating a program based on what you are encountering and partnering on that," Lynch said. “That’s a component of it. (Another component is meeting with) our police and public safety advisory committee and actually going through our general procedures and policies and (having them) help us write the policies.”
Lynch stressed the role that organizations like BSA have in improving public safety for Black students.
“The relationships that are being established, the frequent meetings and the engagement opportunities there — you have a direct impact on how you receive services from us," Lynch said. "That hasn’t always been the case.”
However, Lynch said that beyond the measures being taken by law enforcement to be able to identify perpetrators of instances of racial harassment, there must be a “culture change” for those doing the discrimination.
"We tend to focus on those that are victimized by it, but there's another group that needs medication as well: those who are actually doing it," Lynch said.
BSA members also raised general questions about public safety and security on campus following the mass shooting that occurred last February.
“I think how we move forward from Feb. 13 is at the forefront of most of our community (members’) minds, but at the same time, what’s the balance?" Lynch said. "We’re not a correctional institution, so to have everything locked down at all times... I don’t think y’all want to live like that.”
