New Haven leaders denounce 'fear mongering' flyers handed out to students by Yale's police union

City leaders in New Haven, Connecticut have taken issue with a guide distributed by the "Yale Police Benevolent Association," which is the school's police union.

City leaders have claimed that the information detailed in the guide is "inaccurate and irresponsible," according to WFSB.

Amid contract negotiations with the school, Yale's police union distributed pamphlets to students and their families entitled "Welcome to Yale - A Survival Guide."

The flyer—which includes a grim reaper sketch—details crime in the area. But the city of New Haven has dismissed the guide as not only inaccurate, but inflammatory, per the report.

New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker and New Haven and Yale's police chief addressed the document, arguing that it have been used to summon fear and safety concerns for students and their families.

The survival guide has apparently used a similar strategy carried out by the New York police union in the 1970s, claiming that crime is getting worse. The guide made mention of a recent shooting and stabbing that took place at Union Station.

The guide went on to suggest students remain on campus, stay off the streets past 8 p.m., and to not walk alone.

Elicker and the police chief said the details mentioned in the guide are inaccurate.

“If you’re going to have an issue, let that issue be between Yale University and the union. Do not drag the NHPD, do not drag the citizens of this city into a discussion, because it’s inappropriate and it’s fear mongering and that’s exactly what they chose to do,” Anthony Campbell, Yale Police Chief, said.

Elicker echoed Campbell's sentiment: "You don't promote fear, you don't promote misinformation."

“If you actually followed the premise of each of the things printed in the flyer, it says one of two things, either the officers are incompetent or they’re not doing their jobs and neither of those things is true."

Campbell said that campus crime is down. He suggested the guide was a negotiating tactic used by the union, but the union has disputed this claim.

Andrew Matthews, Chief Negotiator for the Yale Police Benevolent Association, said: “Being aware of criminal incidents that have occurred in the city will make them aware of their surroundings and hopefully prevent them from ever becoming a victim of a crime."

However, some did not believe making such statements on move-in weekend was the appropriate strategy.

Ronnell Higgins, the Associate Vice President for Public Safety at Yale, released a statement after the guide was released, stating: "This weekend, the Yale Police Union, which is currently in contract negotiations with the university, handed out misleading pamphlets to Yale students as they moved into their residential colleges. These pamphlets included disturbing and inflammatory rhetoric about the safety of Yale’s campus and its home city of New Haven, aimed at creating fear among new students and their families."

"Yale is committed to the safety and well-being of our students, faculty, staff, neighbors, and visitors, and we unequivocally condemn the irresponsible and reckless actions of those who chose to spread this inaccurate information. Indeed, our campus continues to see a decrease in crime, especially violent crimes. Robberies are down 30% compared to last year, and throughout the City of New Haven, robberies and burglaries are also down. The most reported crime on campus is the theft of laptops, cell phones, and motorized scooters left unattended and unsecured."

"Move-in day has always been special and memorable for students and their families, many of whom are coming to Yale and New Haven for the first time. The university supports the right of union members to rally peacefully, but today’s leafleting both ran counter to the spirit of the day and detracted from the exemplary work performed by Yale Police officers, Public Safety team members, and their partners at the New Haven Police Department."

Yale Police Union distributes controversial flyers to studentwww.youtube.com

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