This student-led committee was created based on student advocacy. The committee plays a vital role in working with Public Safety on issues that concern the student body. This page will be updated to reflect the ongoing work of this committee. Any student who is interested in learning more can email Assistant Director of Community Engagement & Partnerships Jamie Grobes at jg062@bucknell.edu.

Mission: The Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC) endeavors to improve the relationships between the University population and Bucknell Public Safety by ensuring that the policy and communications of the Department are oriented toward creating a safe, inclusive and welcoming campus community. To that end, PSAC provides students the opportunity to work with Public Safety to create guidelines on interactions and conduct that redress the historical friction between police and students – particularly those from marginalized communities. Consequently, PSAC enthusiastically integrates DE&I objectives into consideration of Public Safety policy; this helps confirm Public Safety’s compliance with evolving notions of safety, some of which may necessarily exclude reactive police involvement. PSAC will engage in constant dialogue with representative student groups to help efficiently incorporate student concerns into its decision-making. 

2022-2023 Academic Year Student Membership: Bernadette Maramis, Iona Pitkin, Jenna Deluccia, Kate Normandin, David Hitzrot, Molly Tuthill, Harrison Quinn, Endia Scales

Meeting Minutes:

Minutes from the April 15, 2022 meeting:

In addition to the Agenda we discussed the following topics from our April 15, 2022 meeting.

• The draft Mission statement needed to be shared with the entire committee for review and feedback. Requested feedback by May 5th from the committee on the document.
• Discussed sending out a campus announcement in reference to the creation of the committee. Chief Morgan will work on a draft announcement. We also discussed having an inclusive application process for any interested students. We discussed creating a poster with a QR code to allow students to quickly access information on the committee.
• We discussed utilizing Bucknell social media and other formats to get the word out about the committee.
• We discussed utilizing freshman orientation as a time to advertise and provide information directly to students. 
• We discussed PSAFE creating a brief student police academy to equip students with information about PSAFE.
• We discussed the duties and responsibilities of the board and providing more detail in the Mission statement.
• We discussed having ex officandio’s as non voting members that could include staff and faculty members.
• We discussed a student created survey for ranking officer interactions with the community vs Guardian Score.

Minutes from the October 4th, 2022 meeting Attendance 

• We reviewed minutes from the Spring meeting and no edits or amendments were made.
• We discussed the Mission/Purpose statement. No changes were requested and it was finalized. Instead of an application to seek additional members a google form was created and sent out to students via the message center on .
• We discussed parking and Bernadette Maramis advised that President Braveman spoke with BSG and advised that no funding was available to make parking changes on campus.
• David Hitzrot requested that we find a location to house the work of the PSAC committee and recent Public Safety updates. This work will initially be housed on the blog site until we can find an alternative solution. Discussed QR codes and posters/flyers in elevators. We discussed the “my voice” survey that is sent out by the Dean’s Office. Reached out to Dean Badal and we can’t change the questions. The questions are set by the Division of Institutional Research.
• The Committee suggested that new PSafe information be sent to Brent Papson to include in his emails to the students. Also, that information is more likely to reach the student body through social media platforms such as Insta.
• We discussed the recent personal self defense class held for sororities and the miscommunication that occured. We discussed sharing with the committee upcoming initiatives to have them present these ideas to the student body. We discussed questions submitted by members for this meeting.
• Molly suggested that the students be offered Narcan training and expressed an urgency of this need.
• We agreed to keep the meeting at 6pm and to meet monthly. We will meet with Iona and Jenna bi-weekly to discuss statistics and other events or issues.
• Molly and Bernadette will sit on the upcoming Lieutenant and Sergeant promotional process.

Meeting minutes November 3rd 2022

• Brief update/status of current incident – 
• Status of Narcan & First Aid/CPR Training *CPR training has reached capacity* Allowing submissions for waitlist or preference for future opportunity
• Status of 7th Street Painting w/ Police – 11/9, 11/16, 11/15, 11/17, or after Thanksgiving break also would need to review officer availability before firming up a date*- Before Finals 
• Discussion of Basic Car Troubleshooting training (interest?) – November 10th at Noon w/ Rex
• Request from Title IX/IPV Coordinator for feedback regarding navigation of reporting SA or bias incidents, conduct, confidentiality etc, outside of flowchart in development) – clarification of confidentiality and mandated reporting
• General QR code (for a Google form) where students could go to submit unsolicited feedback about a student/PSafe interaction or Dispatch call? For students to distribute amongst the student body at large? -Yes, would prefer it on the website or Chief’s blog, easily accessible
• Discussion regarding informal t-shirt/sweatshirts that would identify PSafe department when in attendance at student events – YES! Suggestion made to pull an idea from the new car wraps
• D2C – set-up presentation time – just the presentation for that PSAC meeting

Meeting Minutes January 26th, 2023

• Scooter Policy Presentation & Feedback- Greg Rokavec presented on the proposed scooter policy for 30 minutes. Asked for feedback via email.
• Soft launch of App Armor – tabled until next month
• Spring BSafe Events – Narcan Training scheduled for 6:00PM, Wednesday, March 8th @ Forum, seeking other ideas/input (follow-up discussion on types of drugs on campus per comment made at RA meeting)  (Cpr training, basic vehicle maintenance)
• Launch of Community Safety Feedback form – Discussed the form and questions that were shared during the November meeting.
• Community Psych class involvement- Discussed the pending review of the department by two Bucknell students as part of a semester project.
• Year End Report- Shared the PSAFE year-end report. Added to our website as discussed.
• RA Interaction – recognizing that students need to grapple with a financial burden or getting the emergency help that they need. *personal reminder to discuss emt card*

PSSAC Agenda 10/02/2023

Student Safety Feedback Outcomes

Training offered by PSafe – CPR certification/potential sources of funding?

Town Hall Event

LPR System

Know Your Rights – Format/content recommendations

BSAFE App usage

PSSAC Agenda 11/13/2023

1st Amendment and Bucknell

“As an institution, Bucknell is committed to respecting and protecting the rights of free expression by members of our community. As we navigate current world events and students express their views, it is important to understand that Public Safety does not take sides. As a sworn police agency, we must uphold the rights of all. We all have different opinions and viewpoints. What hopefully binds us together is our shared recognition of our individual humanity and identity. 

It is important to note that verbalizing differences of opinion and perspective should not automatically make us fearful of one another. While our freedom of expression policy allows for speech that may be viewed by some as distasteful, disrespectful or hurtful, it is often not illegal. The litmus test for law enforcement is to consider whether an individual’s words or deeds are inciting people to violence and whether there are true threats of violence in the speech. You may have heard the example of someone shouting “fire” in a crowded movie theater as a hoax. If no true fire exists and a person shouts “fire” to cause panic that results in injuries or a serious inconvenience, that speech would not be protected, and the individual may be charged with disorderly conduct. 

Signs and posters are often used during demonstrations, and they can also have words, images or statements that can be jarring. It is important to know that jarring does not always equal criminal. As law enforcement, we have to determine whether language is communicating a true threat and whether there is malicious intention toward an individual or group based on their perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, or gender or gender identity. You can find a detailed description of what Pennsylvania considers to be ethnic intimidation here.

Our role is to not stifle free expression. The right to peaceful assembly as members of the community is also protected, but just like speech is also not an absolute. The University in its free expression policy has regulated locations on campus for peaceful assemblies. Our role is only to maintain the peace and never to take sides in healthy debates. 

The protection of assembly is covered in our internal policy manual under policy number 431.

I am sharing the information above during a critical time of thoughtful discourse and discussion on our campus. It is important to understand that our presence at events during my tenure has always been peaceful. Our presence should not be construed as supporting one side vs. another; we are there simply to act as peacekeepers. While some at events may look to us to take certain actions, we must follow the law and the Constitution, and be measured in our response. I believe as a community we can continue to have difficult discussions in a thoughtful way, understanding that reasonable people can disagree.”

University-wide class success – CPR/AED, Narcan, Avade

CSO – Completed Community Campus Ally workshop series with Kristin Gibson, the entire department will complete in May

Certified training in Mental Health First Aid

Looking for assistance in planning Deputy Diggs Graduation party – Tuesday, Nov 29, 2023

Additional CSO community-building event ideas? (dodgeball, ect)

PSSAC Agenda 1/23/24 

Agenda

Feedback on new Parking system, if any

BSAFE – Parking Ticket Waiver Program

Ideas for social media content creation

Meet & Greet CSO’s 

PSSAC Agenda  2/22/24 

Locking down campus – student perspective of safety

April Event

Meet & Greet – Parking Coordinator

Off campus parking student survey