There is a New York Police Department (NYPD) van over by the north entrance of the parking garage. It is uncertain how long the van has been parked there.
According to Robert Fitzer, associate vice president for Public Safety, the van occasionally parks in the Rose Hill parking lot because the lot is technically public parking and the NYPD uses the van in its ceremonial unit.
“[The van is] used to transport officers to and from funerals of current and former members of the NYPD, and it occasionally parks in our lot,” said Fitzer, when asked about the van’s placement on campus. “The area is a public parking lot, and Fordham extends the same courtesy to other community partners, such as the Community Board, which parks their van in the same location.”
The van itself is not necessarily stationed at Rose Hill’s campus, but considering the parking lot is public the van has been granted permission to park there. “No NYPD officers — nor any law enforcement officers — enter Fordham’s campuses without the knowledge and permission of Public Safety, except in emergencies such as the pursuit of a dangerous individual, and even in those cases, we are advised in real-time,” said Fitzer.
Public Safety has made a guide available to students entitled “Protocol for Responding to Requests from Law Enforcement Agencies,” which outlines what students should do if approached by an officer on campus.
According to the guide, “unless law enforcement officers are responding to a lawful request, Fordham Public Safety will not allow them on campus, nor share any student or employee information with law enforcement.” Court orders must be verified by the Fordham University Office of Legal Counsel before any outside law enforcement will be granted permission to enter campus or campus properties.
In addition to the synopsis summarizing student protocol, the guide also includes a list of frequently asked questions for students to review, should they have questions when occasionally in contact with law enforcement on campus. It details the rights and responsibilities of students, faculty, staff and resident assistants, as well as confidentiality rules with student records and other personally identifiable information.
Students should also “ask the law enforcement officer for their name, identification number, and agency affiliation,” according to the guide. This includes class rosters and personal identification numbers granted by the university. Protocol of how to handle a search warrant confrontation is also listed in the guide. Students are encouraged to contact the Department of Public Safety at their respective campuses if they have any further questions or concerns beyond what is outlined in the guide.
