Antisemitic and anti-Muslim attacks are on the rise at college campuses across the country. In an effort to decrease the number of incidents,security officials representing public and private colleges in Connecticut, are working to enhance measures to protect students.
Governor Ned Lamont says the state has zero tolerance for acts of antisemitism and Islamophobia. Lamont said the state will deploy all available public safety resources to keep Connecticut residents safe.
“The nationwide increase in incidents of hatred on college campuses is greatly disturbing and can infect anywhere,” Lamont said. “I am calling on all our higher education institutions to work together and strategize on how we can protect everyone on every campus from harm. We will not allow incidents of hate and intimidation to become normalized.”
Ronnell Higgins, Yale University’s associate vice president for public safety, said it’s critical for higher institutions to be in touch with students, staff, and public safety partners about what’s happening on campuses.
“Given the increasingly complex and diverse social fabric of colleges and universities, campus police leaders must understand and prepare for a wide range of threats facing our campuses,” Higgins said.
“It’s really important that when those incidents do happen when we have hate speech, and we do have symbols of hate, that institutions reply strongly, immediately.”
The Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection will remain in close contact with the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice to monitor threats and share resources with local law enforcement.
