David Greenberg on Campus Access and Public Safety

David Greenberg has an ambitious goal for the new Campus Safety Advisory Committee: “Ultimately, we want the community to see Public Safety not as a police force, but a public service.” After all, “Pride, Professionalism, and Service” are the guiding values of the University’s Department of Public Safety—a motto inscribed on the department’s vehicles.

But a constellation of events over the last five years—from COVID restrictions, to recent demonstrations, and federal government mandates—have created challenges in communication and mistaken impressions of the role of Public Safety, said Greenberg, the executive vice president for University Facilities and Operations. In his role, Greenberg is responsible for public safety, as well as new building construction, campus services for students, building and grounds maintenance, and the University’s residential portfolio.

This new committee, which held its first meeting in November—during which they supported the unlocking of interior doors to academic buildings while the campus is on CUID access—is not another venue for oversight or complaints. It is a forum to gather perspective and ideas and for participants to ask questions to help Public Safety be more effectively understood and deliver even better service.

“In the simplest terms, this is normalizing and improving communication directly between the Public Safety department and students, faculty, and staff by getting their feedback,” Greenberg said.

Among those on the committee are faculty and staff representatives, as well as students representing the School of Engineering, Columbia College, Teachers College, the School of International and Public Affairs, and the School of General Studies. As the committee settles into its work and scope, there will also be future opportunities to connect with neighbors, Greenberg said.

He hopes that by having a committee that works directly with Public Safety it will help to dispel assumptions or inaccuracies about the team and its work. This is particularly important as the campus is still adapting to the presence of “Special Patrol Officers,” a specialized team of public safety officers with additional training and the authority to detain and issue summons. They were added last spring to enable the University to more effectively and promptly respond to campus disruptions, while reducing reliance on the NYPD.  

These officers completed a 162-hour New York State-approved training program focused on professionalism, ethics, conflict de-escalation, and anti-bias. Still, a question that surfaced during the committee meeting demonstrates the importance of good information: Do Special Patrol Officers carry weapons? “No, of course not,” Greenberg said.

Meeting participants also raised the question of whether Special Patrol Officers, who today are identifiable by a patch on their uniforms, should wear different uniforms that distinguish them from traditional public safety officers. The idea is under review, Greenberg said.

The conversation was dominated largely by issues of campus access. There is wide disparity of opinions over the topic: “It ranges from views that it’s all about us trying to track everybody to those who are very happy about it because they feel safer on campus,” Greenberg said. He noted that despite the inconvenience or annoyance for some, since access has been more restricted, there have been fewer thefts of cell phones and laptops, and fewer people who do not have business on campus accessing the buildings.

Greenberg also envisions the committee as a forum for testing new ideas and changes in Public Safety policy; this includes the upcoming plan still being developed for use of body-worn cameras on officers.

Greenberg also sought to clearly distinguish this new committee from the Campus Access Advisory Committee, whose work has been completed, and the former Inclusive Public Safety Advisory Committee, which was formed in the wake of George Floyd’s murder.

The Campus Safety Advisory Committee plans to meet at least once a quarter, with its next meeting expected after the start of the year. The committee welcomes feedback, which can be submitted via email to the Department of Public Safety at [email protected].