We've all been there before; we've all had tough weeks with hundreds of pages to read, papers to write and marathon Tisch sessions. All we're looking for is a chance to escape for a night, maybe run into that cute girl who sits in front of us in math class and get away from that awful droning voice that we hear at 12:45 ("The library will be closing in 15 minutes ...").
But have no fear, because the unparalleled fun police that is TUPD is ready to destroy your night and belittle you in the process. Tufts is supposed to be a community, one where people trust each other and feel safe on the campus. TUPD's mission, therefore, should be to facilitate the deepening of this sense of community by providing us with a professional, respectful force that makes us feel secure.
For the most part, the officers are pleasant individuals. Indeed, the officer who let me out of the upstairs bathroom in Eaton after a janitor locked me in from the outside was a very nice person. But, if you have encountered TUPD after 10:00 on any weekend night, you know that they are extremely disrespectful and view all students - especially males - as potentially dangerous criminals.
There have been various occurrences in my four years at Tufts that have exposed me to TUPD's ridiculous behavior. Last year, for example, officers came to my house to break up a noisy party. Their disrespectful behavior was shocking. Not only did they berate me for a good 10 minutes, but after taking down my information, they threw my ID in my face and yelled profanities at me as they sped off.
The basic contempt for students displayed by TUPD officers is shocking. During the night, officers seem more disposed to abusing their power to incite fear in students than to serving them. They threaten people with arrest and expulsion from school for merely being at parties or having an open container. It seems that the only goal of these officers who are supposed to be protecting our community - because, after all, that is the rationale for having a police force - is disparaging students and proving that the police have authority.
Officers are not only lacking in respect for students, but, at times, they engage in their duties with an appalling lack of professionalism. Most students are well acquainted with the dual personalities of some of the men on the force. Male officers who have been screaming at students to "Get the f-- outta here" can instantly change into sensitive guys with a surprising ability to flirt with female students. There is nothing more hypocritical than an officer who was breaking up a party five minutes ago trying to ingratiate himself with a female student standing outside the place where he broke up the party.
My roommate and I witnessed such an incident on the corner of Packard Ave. and Professor's Row on Homecoming. After brusquely shouting at all students to "scram" and "get outta here," at least four male officers descended upon a female student standing on the sidewalk and flirted with her for a good 10 minutes. If officers acted in such a friendly manner towards all students at all hours, there would be no need to write this Viewpoint, but their selective affability is indicative of their arrogance and disrespect.
I am not asking for TUPD to turn into the stereotypically bumbling public safety officers that most people associate with college police forces. All I ask for is a little respect and actions that acknowledge that TUPD serves Tufts' students, not the other way around. Our community depends upon it.
Nathan Stopper is a senior majoring in international relations.
