Student Govt. Refuses to Allow Police Chief to Speak Before Voting ‘No Confidence’ in Police
“This vote is our call to action.”
Let these students live without any police for a little while. It’ll be one of the most important parts of their education.
The College Fix reports:
Student government refuses to allow police chief to speak before ‘no confidence’ vote in campus police
The student government at the University of Wisconsin Madison on Tuesday approved a vote of “no confidence” in UW’s campus police department.
In its decision, the Associated Students of Madison cited UWPD’s role in aiding the city of Madison’s police department in quelling the George Floyd protests that took place on Madison’s State Street in May and June.
“This vote signifies a lack of confidence and trust in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Police Department due to their presence at the protests off campus, failure to comply with the #8cantwaitstandards, and unwillingness to meet all or most of the reforms requested by ASM leaders and students,” the resolution stated. “This vote is our call to action.”
The referenced #8cantwaitstandards are a set of eight benchmarks designed to reform the way police officers approach dangerous situations. The benchmarks include measures such as banning chokeholds, requiring officers to deescalate tense situations, and requiring officers to issue a warning prior to firing a gun.
In a statement on reforming its practices, UWPD said it does comply with the standards: “UPWD’s practices and policies meet the spirit of Campaign Zero’s #8CantWait project benchmarks.”
Associated Students of Madison successfully passed the vote 9-5, with nine abstentions, in favor of declaring their lost confidence in UWPD, Madison.com reports, adding the vote outcome illustrates “the split among students over support for UW-Madison Police amid a national reckoning over police use of force.”
The report goes on to note that the student government was also split on whether to allow Chief of UW Police Kristen Roman to address members before the vote; it ultimately decided against allowing her to speak prior to the vote.
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Comments
Little tyrants.
9 votes for. 5 against. 9 abstentions.
The ones who didn’t vote were more afraid of the people in favor than they were of losing the police. Let that sink in.
Okay, the kids had a vote. Does it mean anything? Aside from a bit of petty embezzlement and vanity projects, the student government at my university had no power to do anything real.