Suffolk University’s Student Government Association met with members of the Suffolk University Police Department to discuss concerns regarding campus safety.
Senators questioned SUPD Interim-Chief Jim Connolly, Captain Gerard “Chip” Coletta and Lieutenant Ramon Nunez Connolly about changes to SUPD training, how officers handle mental health emergencies and the possibility of a self-defense training class for students who wish to carry pepper spray on campus.
Hana Wallen, senator-at-large for the class of 2025, spoke about discrimination that students have experienced from SUPD officers.
“SUPD is biased. We all are, we are human beings and we have to fight against bias every day but I don’t see your department doing that,” Wallen said.
Connolly said officers have diversity training each year and emphasized the importance of diversity within the department.
“[Diversity] certainly is a concern of mine and it should be for the next chief. I hope the university will seriously consider a person of color for the department,” Connolly said.
He added that it’s important for SUPD to be representative of the Suffolk community.
The Class of 2023 and Class of 2025 met to choose a new class speaker and representative for the Student Judicial Review Board, respectively. Katie Desmond was selected as Class Speaker and Hana Wallen as representative to the SJRB.
Vice President Stephen Rykola announced nominations for the Executive Board of Elections would begin the following week, and explained the process of running for E-Board election in his reports.
The senate voted to remove the position of the New England School of Art and Design-at-Large representative, as the NESAD program was absorbed by the College of Arts and Sciences and therefore made the position invalid. The vote to remove was unanimous.
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