Paid, Off-Duty Officers Bolster YU Security

In an effort to increase security on campus, Yeshiva University has been participating in the New York City Police Dept.’s Paid Detail Program for an unspecified period of time.

According to the NYPD, the program “allows New York City police officers to perform off-duty uniformed security work within New York City.” The university pays $41 an hour to have an off-duty uniformed police officer or detective on campus, in addition to a 10 percent administrative charge, bringing the total hourly rate per officer to $45.10. While officers are empowered to enforce laws, they are not permitted to issue summonses for low-level offenses, such as marijuana possession or public urination.

“Student safety is of utmost importance,” said YU’s Senior Director of Communications Mechal Haas. “We have a longstanding partnership with the NYPD paid detail unit and work closely with them to address the needs on campus.”

Haas did not respond to The Commentator’s inquiries regarding how long YU has employed off-duty NYPD officers.

A YU-employed security guard, who commented on the condition of anonymity, praised the arrangement. “This makes our job much easier,” the guard said. “If a criminal sees a cop in uniform with a gun, that will stop him from committing a crime.” The guard further stated that an off-duty officer is frequently posted on 187th Street between the hours of 5 p.m. and 1 a.m. due to criminal activity in the vicinity. Haas declined to comment on deployment matters, citing security concerns.

Students such as Akiva Poppers (SSSB ‘22) have noticed and appreciate the university’s use of off-duty officers to beef up security.

“It’s definitely a step in the right direction towards limiting — and eventually preventing — anti-Semitism on campus, especially after recent incidents in YU residencies,” Poppers said, referring to the recent swastika incidents.

Photo Caption: New York City Police Officers
Photo Credit: New York City Police Dept.