Active-shooter response plan and campus history: A brief history of Evergreen police

“…all great world-historic facts and personages appear, so to speak, twice. …the first time as a tragedy, the second time as a farce.”

The 2008–2009 school year has created yet another legitimation crisis for the Evergreen Police. Announced around the same time as the school’s budget cuts, the Active-Shooter Response Plan, or the Rifle Proposal as it’s come to be known, purports to protect the college from the threat of an armed shooter intending to attack Evergreen students, staff and faculty. The proposal recommends purchasing high-powered AR-15 assault rifles, body armor and helmets, a sum total of $10,000, and training Police Services in active-shooter tactics at a recurring cost of $2000.

Seemingly missing from this debate is a sense of the history of how Police Services came to be at the college and their relationship to the students, staff and faculty. Regardless of a person’s position on the matter, the best solution cannot arise without understanding the history of and connections between the rifle proposal and a proposal created nearly fifteen years ago to arm what was then Public Safety.

The rifle proposal was first introduced to the public when Police Services Community Review Board (pscrb) faculty members Michael Vavrus and Terry Setter delivered it to the Geoduck Student Union in December (the week before winter break), along with the message that Vice President of Student Affairs Art Constantino expected a resolution from the GSU in January.

Following the announcement, former Lacey and current Evergreen Chief of Police, Ed Sorger, along with Evergreen Officer Tim Marron and a Thurston County Officer, gave presentations to both the Faculty Meeting and the Geoduck Student Union. Since then there have been regular invitations to various professionals in order to convince the campus community of the necessity of further arming campus police.
As of now, neither Constantino, Police Services nor the pscrb as a whole have invited any experts to speak in favor of alternatives to the existing rifle proposal, and the multiple community forums sponsored by the college have given preference to Police Services over other agencies who have significant information for the best decision to be made.

Some critiques of the Rifle Proposal include Constantino’s pressure on the gsu to come to a decision without satisfactory campus input, unequal attention to a low-priority threat (active shooters) while what is widely regarded as a major threat (sexual violence) remains unaccounted for, the absence of any student representatives to the pscrb until February, confusion over where money for the proposal will come from, and hostility to the notion of inflating the Police Budget as the campus is forced to cut 12.5% of its services.

Despite historical and statistical analyses, such as one published in the CPJ by Billie Burlock, Police Services insists that active-shooters are a major threat, and if acquired rifles will remain secured at police services and in patrol cars. Further, Sorger and others have assured the campus that the proposal is a one-time affair and will not change the relationship between students and officers, which for Police Services’ part is committed to their statement of “community policing”.

This story sounds a lot like another.

In fall of 1995, Thurston County Undersherriff, Neil McClanahan, acting as Interim Director for what was then Evergreen Public Safety, submitted a formal proposal to arm Public Safety with pistols. In his patent attempt to create community dialog, Art Constantino organized multiple forums to discuss the proposal, all the while insisting that there could be serious legal ramifications if the proposal was not adopted.
Campus reaction to this proposal was widely negative. Many attended forums to voice their disapproval of the proposal and anti-arming signs were posted around the campus. Shortly after the first forums, Community Action Group at Evergreen (cage) formed to oppose the proposal. cage gathered a 1200 signature petition condemning the arming, and soon after organized a sizable protest on Red Square.

In winter of 1996, Art Constantino submitted his own formal recommendation to arm Public Safety, which was followed soon after by a recommendation to the Board of Trustees by then–Evergren President Jane Jervis. During the spring quarter, the Board of Trustees sponsored yet another set of community forums and then voted to recommend a limited arming of public safety; “limited” at the time meant that campus officers would only carry pistols in lock boxes stored in their cars, to be carried on their persons between 6pm and 8am or while a significant distance away from their vehicles. Students returning in fall quarter of 1996–1997 were disappointed to meet our modern Evergreen Police Services.

The years following the arming of Public Safety, transforming them into Police Services, illustrate some alarming trends. That first year of Police Services (1996–1997), with their limited arming, powers of citation and arrest, also came with allegations of sexual harassment. Secretaries working for police services issued complaints that, to our knowledge, were never resolved.

During the 1998–1999 school year, one officer was forced to resign after jokingly drawing his pistol on a female custodian and on a male student employee. On October 22nd, 2002, as many may already know, police conducted raids on small-time student marijuana dealers in T and K dorms in housing. Officers Perez and Adkins served search warrants to students in their housing apartments, pistols drawn, with the authorization of Art Constantino and then-Police Services Chief Steve Huntsberry. A student-informer was said to be essential in the operation.

Days after the event, a drunk student attempted to flee from an officer after throwing a bottle. The officer proceeded to mace the student and leave him untreated for half an hour as he writhed in pain. A community forum was organized to discuss the raids, macing, and general police presence at Evergreen.

2002–2003 is also the year that a recommendation was made to arm police with their pistols 24/7, in place of the limited arming. Vicky Peltzer, chief of police for the University of Washington, was invited to Evergreen as a consultant for another community forum on the issue. Peltzer recommended 24/7 arming of campus police. The pscrb then voted to recommnd full-time arming, and in May, Evergreen President Les Purce made a decision to rewrite police procedure for full-time arming.

For those who have not been present the past two years, these issues are reminiscent of recent experiences. Last year, in the 2007-2008 session, a drunk student was tased as he attempted to run away from an officer; an officer tased a naked youth tripping on lsd; students of color issued a public complaint that they were being racially profiled in connection to the case of the “Anarchist Tagger”. Probably the greatest police controversy in Evergreen history arose after a dead prez show. (That subject has been taxed, but readers should watch the Hip Hop Congress’s investigation of the matter: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_74VEfgsXA)

Many striking connections appear in the relationship between arming police and violence enacted upon students and staff. It would, of course, be foolish to make the claim that there is direct causation between the events described, but it would be more foolish to dismiss any relationality whatsoever. Community members are repeatedly reassured that these issues are one-time affairs, yet it appears that 1995 was the tragedy and we’re witnessing the farce.

Timeline

1995-1996 school year

- Thurston County Undersheriff and Interim Director for Evergreen Public Safety, Neil McClanahan, formally proposes pistols for “Public Safety.”

- Multiple “community forums” are organized to discuss arming.

- Art Constantino, Vice President of Student Affairs, stresses legal ramifications of having unarmed “safety officers.”

- WINTER QUARTER: Art Constantino follows McClanahan’s example with a formal recommendation for arming.

- Community Action Group at Evergreen (cage), a coalition of students, parents, faculty and other community members, organizes a petition opposed to arming with 1200 signatures as well as a Red Square protest.

- Following community forums, tesc President Jane Jervis delivers a recommendation for arming Public Safety to the Board of Trustees.

- Board of Trustees organizes another forum, cage organizing rallies countless individuals to vocalize dissent.

- Board of Trustees votes to recommend “limited arming” of Public Safety. Community responds with a sit-in that blocks entrance to the Library Loop.

1996–1997 school year

- Students return to find “safety officers” in polo shirts replaced by police with swat-style uniforms and patrol cars.

- Complaints mount regarding use of excessive force as well as allegations of officers’ sexual harassment towards secretaries. Nothing is resolved.

1998–1999

- A female custodian goes public with the allegation that a male Police Services officer had jokingly pulled a gun on her while she was working one night. Later, a male student employee from Parking Services accuses the same officer of jokingly drawing his pistol at him. Officer is forced to resign as a result.

2002–2003

- October 23rd, 2002: police, using a student informant, conduct raids on marijuana dealers in T and K dorms. Raids are led by officers Perez and Adkins, guns drawn. Federal search warrants are issued, authorized by then–Police Chief Steve Huntsberry and VP of Student Affairs Art Constantino.

- Within days, police mace a drunk student who, after tossing an empty bottle, tried to run away from an officer. Student goes untreated for about half an hour before paramedics arrive.

- A community forum is organized to discuss maced students and the role of police on campus. Regardless, the Deadly Force Review Board concludes that police drawing weapons in raid was justifiable.

- Issue of carrying pistols 24-hours a day is raised after “malicious threats” towards students

- Vicky Peltzer, chief of police for the University of Washington, comes to Evergreen as a consultant for another community forum on the issue. Peltzer recommends 24/7 arming of campus police.

- Police Services Community Review Board (pscrb) holds multiple forums to discuss full-time arming. pscrb recommends full-time arming.

- May 2003: tesc President Les Purce makes final decision to rewrite campus police procedure to allow for 24/7 arming.

- Evergreen police remain armed at all times, foregoing the original “limiting arming” between 6 pm and 8 am (or as officers are away from their vehicles).

2007-2008

- A student stopped for underage drinking is tased as he attempts to run away
- Days later, an officer tasers a naked youth tripping on lsd in housing. Officers order bystanders to hold the student to the ground as he tased him four times.

- Students of color complain of racial profiling as police investigate the case of the “Anarchist Tagger”

- February 14 Dead Prez show.

- February: Les Purce holds a “community forum,” delivering a lecture with the explicit claim that there will be no discussion and all musical events are cancelled.

- Administration tells police services to “look into” sds in their investigation of the events of Feb. 14.

- Phyllis Lane cancels an sds-sponsored event featuring former members of the Black Panther Party slated to discuss police racism.

- Tez Stair (ra), Jake Mixon (former-gsu member) and others give names to police to help them make arrests and press criminal charges on Evergreen students.

2008–2009

- December: Faculty Michael Vavrus and Terry Setter announce to the Geoduck Student Union announce that they have been commissioned to review a High-Powered Rifle proposal, allegedly as part of an “Active-Shooter Response Plan”; no students are on the pscrb at this time. First time students have heard of this.

- Vavrus and Setter inform the gsu that they would like a decision on the proposal by January.

- Vavrus states he is uncomfortable with a rushed decision, and suggests the possibility of a longer gsu deliberation, a campus-wide vote, and/or a pscrb vote.

- gsu holds forum at hcc.

- Former Lacey and current Evergreen Chief of Police Ed Sorger, Evergreen Officer Tim Marron and a Thurston County officer give active-shooter response presentations at the gsu and faculty meeting, suggesting the purchase of high-powered, semi-automatic assault rifles (ar-15s), as well as yearly training with the weapons for campus officers. Response at both meetings is overwhelmingly negative.

- Cost estimates are presented as $10,000 for rifles, ammunition, and body armor, and a recurring cost of $2000 per year for training and ammunition.

- January: gsu student forum. Upwards of 200 students attend. Feedback is resoundingly negative.

- Days later, pscrb hold a public forum. Response is again decidedly negative.

- More forums are held.

- March: pscrb sponsors a campus wide survey online.

- April: Survey results held by administration, pscrb refuses to disclose information to students. Three gsu-appointed student members of the pscrb are told that if they disclose results of survey, they will not be able to vote on the issue.

- Pscrb holds another forum; Art Constantino brings the Assistant to the Attorney General to present the legal liabilities if the campus does not have rifles.

- Constantino stresses liabilities, Assistant to the Attorney General admits there is little to no liability to the college.

Special thanks to Chris Dixon for information on this article.