Why does the power of campus police go unchecked?
Listen 13:07
William Bess, 19, was apprehended by Temple Police and searched in 2017 when he was driving his parent’s car through the university’s neighborhood. He has filed a federal civil rights complaint against the Temple University Police Department. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)
William Bess, Jr. is suing the Temple University police department, saying he was the victim of racial profiling. Bess was 17 years old, driving his parents’ BMW a few blocks off campus, when he says he was pulled over and pulled out of his car at gunpoint. But when his family tried to file a complaint about the incident, they discovered that private campus police forces aren’t accountable to the public in the same way other police are — even though they have many of the same powers. Ryan Briggs, a reporter with WHYY’s PlanPhilly, explains on this episode of The Why.
Brought to you by The Why
The Why
There’s more to every story if you take the time to tell it.
Del. expands mandatory investigations of police use of force in cases of serious injury
A special division of the Attorney General’s Office was previously only required to investigate use of deadly force by police.
7 months ago
Krasner says his office sent out thousands of subpoenas asking for disciplinary records and received copies in which key information was redacted.
11 months ago
‘Monumental leap’: Philly Council passes bill establishing new police oversight board
The bill creates the Citizens Police Oversight Commission. Backers hope it will increase police accountability and restore trust in the police department.
1 year ago