Western Reader
Yale University freshmen were given eerie ‘Grim Reaper’ survival guides by the university’s police union.
These leaflets, resembling the infamous 1975 NYPD and firefighter pamphlet called ‘Welcome to Fear City: A Survival Guide for Visitors to the City of New York,’ have sparked controversy and fear among students.
The original 1975 leaflets were created in response to widespread police layoffs and advised visitors to avoid public transportation and stay off the streets after 6pm.
Similarly, the new leaflets distributed at Yale urged students to be indoors by 8pm, avoid public transport, never walk alone, and never leave the university grounds. The leaflets also featured the same death’s head symbol and ended with the words ‘Good luck.’
Yale police union gives students ominous Grim Reaper crime survival guides: ‘Good luck’ https://t.co/kpcjwiPXF3 pic.twitter.com/gxoks4UVJP
— New York Post (@nypost) August 25, 2023
The leaflets presented alarming crime statistics, claiming that murders had doubled, burglaries had increased by 33%, and motor vehicle thefts had risen by 56% in the seven-month period ending in July 2023.
These figures were reportedly provided by the Yale Police Benevolent Association to ensure students’ safety during their time at Yale.
However, these grim warnings have been met with widespread criticism. One freshman, Isabella Caltitla, expressed her fear and concern after receiving the flyer while moving in.
She was not alone in feeling this way; many students and parents were deeply disturbed by the content of the leaflets.
New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker and the university administration were quick to condemn the leaflets. Elicker described them as ‘childish and selfish,’ while the university criticized the ‘disturbing and inflammatory language about the safety of Yale’s campus.’
The university also suggested that the police union’s actions were a negotiation tactic, as they are currently in contract negotiations with the university.
Yale police union hands arriving students Grim Reaper flyers about crime near campus: ‘Good luck’ https://t.co/H9IvWts2Nh
— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 23, 2023
New Haven Board of Police Commissioner Mike Lawlor echoed these sentiments, stating that the flyers were a direct copy of the 1975 leaflets and were meant to instill fear. He called the distribution of such inflammatory and false information on one of the most important days in a student’s life an outrage.
Despite the backlash, the police union defended its actions, arguing that there is ‘no dispute on the facts.’
Spokesperson Andrew Matthews asserted that the union felt compelled to ensure that students do not become victims of crimes while attending Yale University. He highlighted the increasing instances of motor vehicles chasing each other down the streets of New Haven and engaging in gunfire.
This incident has undoubtedly overshadowed the start of the academic year at Yale. The outcome of this situation and its impact on the ongoing contract negotiations between the university and the police union remain to be seen.
This article appeared in StatesmanPost and has been published here with permission.
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