What HUPD Should Stand For

Last week, Harvard University Police Department officers assisted Cambridge police officers in responding to a protest against United States Immigrations and Customs Enforcement at Amazon’s Kendall Square office. The protest, organized by Jewish activist group Never Again Action, started at the Boston Holocaust Memorial and ended at the lobby of the Amazon office, where Cambridge police arrested 12 people on charges of trespassing.

We have staunchly supported the legal and human rights of immigrants, commended protesters who stood up for these vulnerable individuals in our communities, and urged the University to support students who are threatened by the federal government’s anti-immigration policies. We remain committed to these values that define our community and maintain our support for these protesters — both in their cause and their right to protest.

At the same time, we have also repeatedly called for Harvard to support the Cambridge community, from sharing its educational resources to increasing its financial contribution to local economies. HUPD should not be exempted from Harvard’s commitment to supporting the broader Cambridge area. In doing so, they need to recognize the extreme sensitivity of the task they are charged with. HUPD has the opportunity to demonstrate that supporting the law enforcement needs of the Cambridge community need not conflict with Harvard’s values of supporting the right to protest, including this instance of anti-ICE activism.

In its mission, HUPD vows to “maintain a safe and secure campus by providing quality policing in partnership with the community […] within the University context of free expression, rigorous inquiry, vast diversity, and pursuit of distinction.” By supporting other police departments in times of need, the HUPD has fulfilled the first part of its mission. And we believe that partnering with police forces in the community does not, in principle, contradict the latter part — its obligation to respect protesters’ free expression.

To be sure, American police departments have demonstrated the ability to be particularly brutal toward protesters, especially when protestors seek to address systemic law enforcement violence. As a result, among young people and communities of color, trust in law enforcement has continued to decline.

HUPD should continue to be conscious of its capacity to contribute to that nexus of violence both on and off Harvard’s campus. Especially given that its primary responsibility is to protect and serve college students on a campus that ostensibly values civil discourse and the safety of its communities of color, HUPD has a particular responsibility to seek the trust of these communities. To that end, HUPD should always place emphasis on supporting the rights of protesters and students as well as the Cambridge residents who they are so often called to serve.

Just as Harvard often calls its students and faculty to lead by example, to exemplify the values of the University as they journey out into the world beyond, Harvard should hold its police force to the same standard. HUPD should always seek to demonstrate principles of responsible law enforcement both to uphold its own mission and to send a message about what policing can and should be in the 21st century.

This staff editorial solely represents the majority view of The Crimson Editorial Board. It is the product of discussions at regular Editorial Board meetings. In order to ensure the impartiality of our journalism, Crimson editors who choose to opine and vote at these meetings are not involved in the reporting of articles on similar topics.