Why defund the TUPD?

Temple has the largest campus police force in the country, employing 130 officers. That's nearly double the number of officers employed in all of Wilkes-Barre, a city the same size as Temple's student body.

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The TUPD's area of jurisdiction extends far beyond campus, allowing officers to arrest community members for minor, nonviolent offenses in an area already patrolled by the Philadelphia Police Department.

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Temple spends more than $27 million each year on the TUPD while other crucial student services, like Tuttleman Counseling, are severely underfunded.

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The TUPD is a private police force that limits public access to reports and operations, providing almost no information about how your tuition dollars are being used. (Sources: The Appeal and Temple University).

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Alternatives are possible.

(Content warning: sexual violence and other sensitive situations).