Staff Editorial: The blue wall of waiting

In the 10 months since officers from the Penn Police Department stopped a black student who, later investigation found, had done nothing illegal or wrong, it seemed that the outrage of the minority community had been turned into an attempt to make a positive change in the way this campus is policed.

But the prospects for meaningful change were again thrown into turmoil yesterday when the only student member of the Public Safety Division's advisory board resigned.

Following the January incident, the calls from the student body were loud and clear -- they demanded a civilian review board to deal with a variety of issues involving the police, most notably the tension between police and the minority community. Resolutions in favor of a review board came quickly from the Undergraduate Assembly and the United Minorities Council, and Penn's public safety chief, Maureen Rush, agreed to consider implementing such a board.

Apparantly, nothing has come of those negotiations. After endless delays blamed on contract disputes and lack of time, the University appears no closer to having a civilian review board today than it was last winter.

Public Safety has raised a number of legitimate concerns regarding the ability of officers to do their jobs and keep the campus safe, but none that serious negotiation could not work through. It is exceedingly disappointing that the process has dragged on for so long, with no resolution in sight, especially when so serious a matter as racial profiling and community-police relations are at stake.

The stopping of any person for no reason by figures of authority ought to be troubling, and it warrants some form of response. The University community has made clear that it wants an advisory board -- a thoroughly reasonable request -- and it is time that Public Safety took that request more seriously.

This article erroneously stated that Alex Breland was the sole student member of the Advisory Board. In fact, there are three student spots, representing the Undergraduate Assembly, Graduate and Professional Student Assembly and United Minorities Council. Breland was the UMC representative.

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