Use of Force

Dear Yale Community,

Yale Public Safety has released its 2023 Use of Force annual report to keep the community informed about the circumstances in which Yale police officers used force.

Federal and Connecticut laws mandate that an officer can only use the appropriate amount of force necessary and reasonable to accomplish lawful objectives and to control a situation, effect an arrest, overcome resistance to arrest, or defend themselves or others from harm.

Over the past three years, from 2021 to 2023, there has been an upward trend in the number of use of force incidents. This increase is primarily due to the rise in the number of sworn personnel employed by the Yale Police Department. With more officers present on and around the campus, there is a greater capacity to prevent and respond to criminal activities. Additionally, the return of the Yale on-campus population to pre-pandemic levels has contributed to this trend.

Other contributing factors include officers engaging in pedestrian and motor vehicle safety enforcement. This response was necessary due to incidents where students and community members were struck by vehicles, leading to an increase in encounters where outstanding warrants were served. The arrest process, which often involves handcuffing, is classified as a use of force.

Moreover, in 2023, Yale University hosted “The Game,” the renowned Yale-Harvard football rivalry, here in New Haven. During this event, at least three animal rights activists were arrested for various charges, further contributing to the increase in use of force reports for the year.

Despite this upward trend, I believe the number of use of force incidents by officers continues to be mitigated by several key factors. These include the effective triaging of incidents to appropriate personnel, comprehensive individual and group training for our officers, and ongoing efforts to educate the Yale community on safety measures.

Yale Police take use of force encounters seriously. Every use of force incident is reviewed by the shift supervisor, shift commander, division head, assistant chief, and me.

We don’t take our role as officers or our commitment to protect and serve lightly. We are committed to our values of integrity, trust, commitment, and courage.

If you have questions about the report, please feel free to reach out to my office at 203-432-4400.

Peace be with you,

Regards,
Anthony Campbell ’95 B.A.,’09 M.Div.