CUNY Police Warn They Are Unprepared for Anti-Semitic Protests

As the fall semester begins at the City University of New York (CUNY), university police are sounding the alarm, warning that they are severely understaffed and ill-prepared to handle potential anti-Semitic protests. This comes after anti-Israel agitators took over the Graduate Center Library in May, raising concerns about the safety of Jewish students on campus.

“The university is going into this under fire – they have no idea what’s going to happen. There’s no preparation,” a CUNY officer told the New York Post. The officer expressed frustration with the university's lack of planning, noting that since the protest encampment ended in May, “Everyone went on vacation. There’s no ‘Let’s prepare for September.’”

The officer’s concerns were stark: “It’s going to be bad. Our numbers just aren’t there. If there’s a spontaneous protest that we don’t have any knowledge of, we’re going to be outnumbered.” The situation has been exacerbated by dwindling police retention rates, with the current academy class down to just five recruits, compared to the usual 100 to 150. “That’s how bad it got,” the officer lamented.

Adding to the challenges, the officer highlighted the university’s reliance on contractors with minimal training, stating, “[The] pay is so low for these guys and they’re paying millions for contractors to be here with no training, no background. They’re not concerned about the students and the staff. They’re worried about their image and making sure the students express their freedom of speech.”

CUNY has been under scrutiny for its handling of anti-Semitism on campus. In April 2023, CUNY professor Jeffrey Lax detailed the university’s troubling history in an article for the New York Post, describing how CUNY had become "the most systemically antisemitic U.S. university in just two years." This was followed by an alarming decision in May, when Kingsborough Community College, a branch of CUNY, canceled an event marking Israel’s Memorial Day, citing security concerns.

The American Jewish Committee has also voiced its concerns, stating, “Sadly, we expect anti-Israel activity will re-emerge at some colleges and universities as the fall semester begins. This semester, the response needs to be different.” However, Jewish advocacy groups remain skeptical about the university's readiness. Julia Jassey, CEO of Jewish on Campus, noted, “We haven’t seen much from universities yet. We had hoped that heading into the school year that universities would be better prepared than last year.”

With tensions high and university police stretched thin, the situation at CUNY raises serious questions about the institution’s ability to protect all of its students and maintain order as the new academic year begins.

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