By Jessica Custodio | Campus Reform
A student-led initiative at the University of Vermont is calling not only for the university to cut ties with city police, but also to defund and disarm its own campus police.
The letter demanding that the school rid itself of police was written by five students and signed by 50 people, 39 of them being UVM faculty members, according to The Vermont Cynic. This included Vermont City Councilor Jane Stromberg.
“WE DEMAND That The University Of Vermont Campus Police Department Ceases ANY PARTNERSHIPS & FUNDING With The Burlington Police Department IMMEDIATELY,” reads the letter.
University of Vermont
The letter goes on to demand that “rescue and social workers” be “paid as first responders” instead of police officers.
“WE DEMAND The Annual $100,000 Paid To The Burlington Police Department From UVM’s Pockets To Cease,” the letter continues.
The group also insists that the school disarm campus police and eventually abolish the department altogether.
“WE DEMAND The Disarmament Of Campus Police. In No Uncertain Terms, No more Firearms, Batons, OC Spray, And Tasers On The University of Vermont Campus,” wrote the group adding, “WE DEMAND The Gradual Abolition Of The University Of Vermont Campus Police Department In Order To Replace Them With A More Equitable System Of Managing Student Situations.”
The demands also included that a Black Lives Matter Flag be permanently flown outside one of UVM’s main buildings
The students compared their initiative to a 2018 series of past student activism by a group called NoNamesforJustice.
Campus Reform covered an incident in 2018 wherein NoNamesforJustice blocked a major intersection, chanting “Black lives matter!” and delaying ambulances.
University of Vermont spokesperson Enrique Corredera confirmed to Campus Reform that “Provost [Patricia] Prelock has met with students who submitted the demands to facilitate a discussion about their concerns.”
“We anticipate we will continue to engage with the students,” Corredera added.
Demand, Demand, Demand….
For the students and their Demands I would tell them in no uncertain words if they do not want to go to UVM then go somewhere else, no questions asked and no debbating the issue . The other thousands of students need to know that they have security and will be on a safe campus.
As for the professors that feel the need to be plain stupid, I feel that they are clearly not intelligent enough to be teaching my kids in the first place and should be asked to find a NEW JOB!!!!
I am plain sick and tired of these indoctrinated individuals that thick they know all and demand, demand and demand.
Then there is the MARXIST organization of BLM, no flags for them, end of story! UVM flies the
American flag which includes everyone!!!
Have a back bone and do the right thing UVM, for the majority of the students!!
Is this what is learned in college? Arrogance? Selfishness? Peer pressure? Loss of ones identity? Rudeness? Disrespect? Lack of insight. Blindness? Unbridled anger? Foolishness?
Why, these students are not so smart as they think they are. They can learn all these things for free, on the streets of their hometowns. I could teach these things at UVM and I would charge far less than what professors get for salaries.
None of those students is tuned in to the real world. If the Administration gives in to those ridiculous demands then we all need to re-examine the Administration and their duty to protect the lives and property of the students and state that they serve.
Give the poor babies what they want and STOP giving the tin horn excuse for higher education tax payers hard earned money. When they call the Burlington PD for assistance, just inform them the campus is not under its jurisdiction and call the state police.
Sounds like there are a lot of people at UVM who are not college material! Raise the entry standards, and get rid of professors who think there is no need for police.
Too funny, sounds like they are unhappy with their school choice. Perhaps they should consider going to a different institution.
We demand.
This would be a great time for mandatory history lessons in college. Compare and contrast different governmental systems. Compare and contrast Western Civilization along with others.
Instead we train our children in how to protest and consume propaganda and indoctrination, last I knew that is not education.
Keep the police. Remove the Burn, Loot, Murder flag.
I DEMAND UVM divest itself from tax payer funding.
Great point – UVM wants $67.5 million from us this year.
Here here!