Earlier this year, officers described the work culture of Brown’s Department of Public Safety as “toxic” and “dangerous.” After two recent votes of no confidence from both the Brown University Police Sergeants Union and the Brown University Security Patrolperson’s Association, it is clear that Police Chief Rodney Chatman and Deputy Chief John Vinson have failed to meaningfully respond to these concerns.
Brown has an obligation to ensure all members of its community — including those tasked with protecting it — are safe. Yet, the University has not made any definitive statement on how it will resolve this internal discontent. Instead, it has blankly reiterated its commitment to student safety while failing to address the concerns expressed. We demand action, not another round of empty assurances.
DPS leadership’s shortcomings actively put students at risk. Twice in recent years, the department has mishandled threats to campus safety. In 2023, the DPS did not adequately respond to a shooting threat by a former football coach. In 2021, when responding to a bomb threat, the DPS took nearly an hour to call a Providence Police Department K-9 unit in to investigate. These blatant violations of the department’s standard operating procedure would have put community members in danger if the threats had been actualized.
Chatman has defended the department’s response to these threats by claiming that officers are adequately equipped to handle such incidents on campus. But based on the unions’ recent votes of no confidence, this appears not to be the case. The Patrolperson’s Association also alleges that DPS leadership has prioritized filling administrative positions while cutting back on deployed officers. The union says these actions strain “the department’s ability to effectively serve the Brown University community.”
The Police Sergeants Union claims that policies and actions by Chatman and Vinson have jeopardized both public safety and sergeants’ well-being. The Herald previously reported that Vinson has frequently been described as “vindictive” and a “micromanager,” and that his attitude toward employees creates tension in the workplace.
Chatman’s response to sexual harassment allegations made against Sergeant Kevin Pepere has been similarly inadequate. After Pepere made inappropriate advances toward a colleague, the department failed to separate the alleged victim from her harasser in work environments, The Herald previously reported. When the leaders of the department tasked with keeping our campus safe fail to protect their own employees, how can students feel anything but vulnerable? In a moment when trust is already waning in the University’s ability to adequately address cases of sexual misconduct, this mishandled situation only increases feelings of doubt. Brown should do all it can to ensure community members feel safe on campus. Instead, a lack of urgency has characterized the University’s responses.
University Spokesperson Brian Clark previously told The Herald that “Brown takes any reports of harassment and discrimination very seriously.” Yet public safety officers still quit due to a toxic work environment. Clark also wrote that when investigating claims of misconduct, Brown takes “all necessary steps to ensure the independence and integrity necessary to ensure that findings are objective.” Yet the University outsourced its investigations of the department to a consultancy allegedly affiliated with Chatman. Clark further wrote that “Brown DPS is deeply committed to protecting the safety of students, faculty, staff and campus visitors.” Yet both votes of no confidence alleged that they have failed to do so.
The University is failing in its obligation to provide all members of the community a safe environment to work and learn. Chatman and Vinson have lost the trust of their officers — and now, the editorial page board. Brown must move beyond opaque statements and half-hearted investigations and instead take decisive action to restore safety and integrity to the DPS.
Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board, and its views are separate from those of The Herald’s newsroom and the 135th Editorial Board, which leads the paper. A majority of the editorial page board voted in favor of this piece. Please send responses to this column to letters@browndailyherald.com and other opinions to opinions@browndailyherald.com.
