PRESS RELEASE: Green Party of New Jersey Statement on Glassboro Police incident

October 8, 2018 – Glassboro, NJ – For immediate release.

The Green Party of New Jersey condemns the behavior of the Glassboro Police Department towards the two Rowan University students, erroneously stopped on Monday Oct. 1 for reasons that in dispute. The students, Altaif Hassan and Giavanna Roberson, were terrified and feared for their lives when police suddenly held them up at gunpoint with no explanation. Mr. Hassan, aware of how badly similar situations elsewhere have gone, said he thought he was going to die. Both students were released 45 minutes later without an apology. Hassan also stated that he has been stopped by Glassboro police in the past for no reason.

According to the New York Times (5/17/2017), there have been 15 “high profile” police shootings of African American men and women in the past several years that have gone to trial. Twenty percent of these cases have resulted in convictions of the police officer involved.

In a forum held at the university on Friday October 5, many students of color stated that they have been repeatedly stopped by the Glassboro Police without explanation, and are increasingly uncomfortable and fearful about being singled out for this unjust treatment. Yet the only action proposed by the University President was to convene a committee. Glassboro should welcome and take care of all the young people who have left home to attend college here, not make them feel unsafe.

The Green Party of New Jersey calls on the Borough of Glassboro to immediately take steps to train its police officers in anti-discriminatory policing practices, and to treat everyone they encounter with respect, civility, and a presumption of innocence. Our communities deserve this.

Contact: Denise Brush, Green Party of Gloucester County (gpnjmembership@gmail.com).

Sources of information:

https://www.nj.com/gloucester-county/index.ssf/2018/10/glassboro_police_say_they_held_students_at_gunpoin.html

https://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2018/10/borough_police_need_to_explain_rowan_gunpoint_stop_editorial.html

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