Police Reform at a Learning Institution: Promoting Student Trust and Involvement

• In Event: Policy Panel: Translating Police Research and Reform Into Practice

Abstract

Policing a college campus, particularly in an urban environment, presents unique issues as students are a distinctive sub-group of the population. Most students have had little experience with police prior to college, making university police interactions integral to building trust between college students and law enforcement. This presentation will focus on student perceptions surrounding the reform of the University of Cincinnati Police after an officer-involved shooting of an unarmed Black motorist off-campus. This discussion includes first-hand observations of student involvement in reform from a setting which stimulates and promotes engagement. This presentation will also discuss perceptions from students regarding university policing, particularly as it pertains to a student studying policing. Finally, this presentation will present recommendations for student involvement in university policing reform agendas.

Author

• Gabrielle Isaza, University of Cincinnati