Temple police union president criticizes Temple VP’s statement on recent shootings

Temple University Police Association President Alec Shaffer is calling on Vice President for Public Safety Jennifer Griffin to correct her statement.

When answering mental health class on campus police will bring a masters of social work student with them. | EARL KUFEN / THE TEMPLE NEWS

Temple University Police Association President Alec Shaffer released a statement Saturday night criticizing Vice President of Public Safety Jennifer Griffin’s use of the phrase “university safety officers” to describe Temple police in a Friday statement about Thursday night’s double-shooting.

Shaffer called on Griffin to correct her statement and wrote that the term “safety officer” undermines their work, creates confusion, decreases officer morale and deters potential officers from joining the department.

“Let me be clear, according to Pennsylvania Law, our duty sworn and fully-certified police officers are to be referred to as police officers,” Shaffer wrote. 

The university is handling the situation internally.

Griffin’s statement refers to “university safety officers” responding to a call that a bullet hit 1300 residence hall Thursday night.

However, later in Griffin’s statement, she used the terms “campus police,” “Temple officers” and even promoted TUPA’s “Stop the Violence Peace Walk” that took place this morning. 

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