How do campus police who are there for security, take away from political independence and freedom of speech? Every citizen here has a right to expect reasonable security and that is the reason for the campus police. We saw one example of a student inciting trouble (clearly) and the campus police not handling it very well. That will be under investigation and I'm sure whether or not they were justified they will be reprimanded publicly. That doesn't mean that students don't have independence or freedom of speech on campus. I don't know of any cases where students behaved differently (other than avoiding doing anything illegal as adults do when they drive by a cop on the side of the road) when campus police are around. In all honesty, most college students today really don't care though. There is nothing taken away from them that they feel legally they should have. Nothing except for Iraq to protest against and it is only small groups doing that. Heck, except for knowing the name 'Bush,' probably 80% don't even know who runs our country except for the President. Keep in mind that this is a capitalist society and parents have sued colleges in the past for failing to provide reasonable security for their students.


>>To Dragan, I don't recall any 'police state' on any of the campuses I attended courses at but it has been a few years now. It is pretty normal for them to be present at political rallys and speeches though simply for the fact that college campuses are the ideal place for protestors and teens are emotional and can get out of hand.
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>The whole point of independence of universities (which seems to be an European tradition which didn't really catch here) is that the government needs a huge probable cause to assert jurisdiction. As I said, not even Tito touched that.
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>It's a matter of common sense for the organizers to have their own orderlies (or that's how we call them) who make sure the words "probable cause" don't come into play, and that the provocateurs are neutralized quickly and silently. It's been a regular order of business to have them during The Walk against Milošević - whichever party/parties organized the rallies, provided volunteers for the job.
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>>Update: I do recall a recent news story where local college campuses vowed to have more police 'visible' in order to deter crime. Sexual assault is far too common on campus and there is always a public outcry for more security after one occurs at any college campus and it really is all over the news.
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>>Terry, most good size college campuses here now have a full-time police force just like every city. They are run pretty much the same as well. It has evolved over time from just a security force (for crime on campus) to a real police force (due to terrorism and bomb threats and shooting incidents). No parent will pay the high cost of tuition for their child if they can't reasonably believe their child will have protection on campus.
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>Then it's a vicious circle. The society gives less and less hope and future to its young and its poor; they react how they can. It turns violent, citizens are already in the habit of requiring more police (as a remedy against the symptoms, thinking they can't fight the cause - or they are part of the cause anyway). Police then causes more reasons for revolt because they often hit the wrong people. This breeds violence. It slowly spirals towards a police state.