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As concerned students of Georgetown, we find the recent, untenable hate crimes to be a symptom of a pervasive, historically rooted, and dangerous climate on campus. These are not isolated incidents, and we call on the responsibility of the University to address these issues with every available avenue. We would like to bring to your attention some of the severe underlying problems that have been undermining the safety of students as well as neglecting the well-being of Department of Public Security Officers.
Especially given the recent crimes, it is evident that campus security forces do not have all the resources and support they need to keep this campus safe. DPS Officers are among the lowest-paid campus police in Washington, D.C. Moreover, DPS is chronically understaffed. SafeRides, escort services, and other safety systems are frequently understaffed and unable to provide sufficient services. These issues hinder the retention of employees and undervalue long-term officers with the experiential knowledge of Georgetown, which is essential to the trust needed between DPS and the community. This “revolving door” leaves the Georgetown community vulnerable to future incident.
Finally, this situation undermines our Catholic Jesuit values of social justice and Cura Personalis. Georgetown claims to address and care for all of the aspects of its students, cultivating and nurturing the heart, spirit, and body as well as the intellect. We must expand this understanding not only to the well-being of all of the person, but to the institution itself: We cannot have a safe, thriving University campus without caring for all of its interdependent members. If one group is neglected and abandoned, the entire community suffers the consequential injury to the common good.
Even in hard economic times, we must not compromise the respect, security and well-being of those charged with keeping us safe.
Therefore, we demand that the DPS Officers receive a raise of $4 over a three year period.
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