New campus police headquarters announced

[Ghost of the HEB]

https://t.co/YH9IN3CvHc

This is clearly in response to the Lauren McCluskey tragedy. As a current student who loves the U, this is a difficult subject. While changes like these are a step in the right direction, it still digs up my frustration and anger towards the University admin. The actions/inaction taken by campus police prior to Lauren’s murder was absolutely unacceptable. When all of the details of this case were brought to light, the University should’ve immediately hit the reset button on their police department. They should have immediately cut ties with the employees who worked on the case, as well as those who had jurisdiction over these employees. Instead, they went into immediate damage control mode with the school president telling the media things like “this could not have been prevented”. What?? Any reasonably objective person who reviews the case will find plenty of times when proper action by campus police might have saved this girl’s life. And then the university decides to cover it’s ass and not punish the police chief? Unless you count paying him to “retire” and holding a big expensive party in his honor as punishment.

I often see defenders of the university in this case say things like “there’s more to it than you know” and “I have sources that know more about this”. Okay, soooo let us in on the secrets. Because everything I’ve ever read or watched concerning the case shows that the U police mishandled the case and then the University deflected blame from itself.

Also, seeing that Washington State has a campus memorial monument to Lauren —and the U doesn’t— is very disappointing.

Edit ** apparently we have one and some of us didn’t get the memo🤷🏼‍♂️

[UteThunder]

Utah does have a campus memorial for Lauren.

Lauren McCluskey Utah Campus Memorial

[Anfernee]

I’m confused as to why the new headquarters is a negative? I’ve seen this same topic on Cougar Board and I don’t get the blow back.

[Anonymous]

Because people are sensitive to anything and everything. meh

[EagleMountainUte]

Because you are viewing this through the media cast shadow, I can see why you view things this way. Considering two pending civil lawsuits the McCluskey family and Powell family. I believe McCluskeys will get nothing in court. Because of a supreme court case that protects LEO. Duty to enforce laws vs “serve and protect”.

It is very difficult to prove negligence to enforce the law. Which the biggest issue the UOFUPD had was not informing AP&P of the potential violations made by an offender on probation. Policy and procedural violations possibly contributed in her death. I don’t think reporting him would have mattered. As we have seen in the deaths of two Officers by offenders on probation and a brutal stabbing of a woman in her home while her sister fought him off. 

One of the only things I agree with you on is calling this a tragedy. It truly is a tragedy but life is like that a lot. 

[Utesbyfive]

Castle Rock v. Gonzales is the Supreme Court case that determined Law Enforcement has no duty protect any individual. They are not bodyguards. They are mainly there to come in after the fact and give parties a case number for insurance, to investigate major crimes, and intervene in any ongoing violent crime they are called to.

The McCluskey case may have some merit if policies and procedures were not adhered to, but it would go against precedent for the Judge to allow any sort of “duty to protect” arguments in court. It’s sadly not the case.

Technically it’s not the Police’s job to “enforce the law.” They arrest people suspected of breaking the law, and question them. The prosecutors and courts either enforce the law, or choose not to.

[EagleMountainUte]

As another example of how LEO don’t have a obligation to protect life. I believe a US district Judge tossed the lawsuit against the Broward County Sheriff’s department. Cruz had multiple run ins prior to killing 17.

But I do think Scot Peterson is still in the courts. He was the deputy who didn’t go in and engage Cruz. But it is trying to say that School Resource Officers are “caregivers”. Which is a huge stretch and isn’t reasonable. School Resource Officers are often left out of the loop to ongoing criminally activity within the school. By the teachers, principals and districts… Etc.