2008 Woodie Awards
Local police harm relations with MU
Ann Koblenzer
Issue date: 8/28/07 Section: OpEd Page
Oxford is a college town and many college students drink, therefore there is drinking in Oxford. I understand that Miami has had students die in alcohol related incidents, but creating an environment where students avoid officers at all costs does not make me feel safe. Knowing that there are plainclothes officers doing "proactive party control" at private residents is an invasion on our right to enjoy our college experience. The police force is creating an environment where the students not only dislike the officers but have little respect for them or their authority.
The police in Oxford claim they want students to know they are there for our safety and want us to feel comfortable getting help if we need it. But I would never approach an officer for help.
The police force wants to create a working relationship with the students, one of trust and confidence. If they want us to cooperate and be more respectful of them, sitting on the Slant Walk waiting to catch intoxicated students walking home is not the way to do it. Shouldn't they be more focused on patrolling the less crowded and less lit areas of campus?
I don't think that there will be an assault on the Slant Walk, which is always crowded and lit. The police need to concern themselves with bigger issues like unlit streets. They need stop looking for a way to get students in trouble.
Miami is a special place-everyone who spends time here realizes that. It is located in the perfect college town, where the students support the economy. Not only the police, but also the community needs to realize this. The students work in the establishments, spend their money there and volunteer for the community. But all the good gets overshadowed by having a beer pong table outside. The students support the restaurants and bars, and the community gets angry over parties and outdoor drinking games-that is unfair to students.
I am not saying it's a simple problem to fix. I am only trying to address a problem and create awareness about how the students feel. The police force and community need to be realistic and figure out how to work with the students, so that the students see the police as approachable and the community as something in which they want to be a part.
The police in Oxford claim they want students to know they are there for our safety and want us to feel comfortable getting help if we need it. But I would never approach an officer for help.
The police force wants to create a working relationship with the students, one of trust and confidence. If they want us to cooperate and be more respectful of them, sitting on the Slant Walk waiting to catch intoxicated students walking home is not the way to do it. Shouldn't they be more focused on patrolling the less crowded and less lit areas of campus?
I don't think that there will be an assault on the Slant Walk, which is always crowded and lit. The police need to concern themselves with bigger issues like unlit streets. They need stop looking for a way to get students in trouble.
Miami is a special place-everyone who spends time here realizes that. It is located in the perfect college town, where the students support the economy. Not only the police, but also the community needs to realize this. The students work in the establishments, spend their money there and volunteer for the community. But all the good gets overshadowed by having a beer pong table outside. The students support the restaurants and bars, and the community gets angry over parties and outdoor drinking games-that is unfair to students.
I am not saying it's a simple problem to fix. I am only trying to address a problem and create awareness about how the students feel. The police force and community need to be realistic and figure out how to work with the students, so that the students see the police as approachable and the community as something in which they want to be a part.
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Rick Bunch
posted 8/28/07 @ 4:29 PM EST
college students in oxford need to realize that just because they are in college doesnt exempt them from the law. as for not calling the police for help, i dont believe that statement for a second. (Continued…)
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