University Police Department Chief Linda Stump announced Tuesday she’s still awaiting an independent report from the consulting agency responsible for reviewing the UPD’s response and subsequent March 2 shooting of a UF graduate student while on campus. The editorial board has many concerns about the outcome.
Saying the overall goal of the department — keeping students safe — will not change but adding that the report will likely recommend changes presents the same challenges the Student Body faced prior to one of our own being shot in the face: bureaucratic gobbledygook.
Having already fired the commanding officer in the shooting of Kofi Adu-Brempong, a decision widely labeled as a scapegoat and appeasement, and announcing a plan to create an independent review board, we are left wondering what substantial changes will actually be enforced after an apparent creation of a review board.
Although we agree UPD needs an independent review board, we are hesitant to believe it will be called upon to review every major decision the UPD is forced to make.
Time doesn’t allow for review in some circumstances, like when disabled students are shot in the face.
If anything, following the release of the independent report, which we can only hope will be sometime soon (we’ve been waiting six months), we hope the UPD learns to think first and shoot later.
