The Department of Public Safety’s use of race in suspect descriptions in Alert Carolina messages reinforces racist stereotypes, creating a hostile climate for students of color.
It’s not helpful for police to issue statements that only give a suspect’s race, height and build. With no information about what a suspect is wearing or what direction the person is heading, students can hardly be expected to produce helpful leads for investigators.
The Department of Public Safety should only include a suspect’s race if there are five other descriptors to include in a crime alert.
In February, after students took over a campus building in protest of this practice, the University of Minnesota announced it will only release a suspect’s race if administrators feel “there is sufficient detail that would help identify a specific individual or group.”
Pamela Wheelock, a vice president at the University of Minnesota, said black students told her that the use of race in suspect descriptions made them feel less safe on campus.
This is not acceptable. All students should feel safe on campus. And the Department of Public Safety, the group tasked with protecting students’ safety, should do everything it can to make students feel welcome and comfortable.
By only including race when there are five other acceptable descriptors, campus police will be doing their part to protect students by disseminating safety information and curb the promulgation of racist stereotypes on campus.
