Staffs Police officer “banned” by Student Union
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By Faye Patrick and Zoey Mulliner: A Police officer says he has been banned from Staffordshire University Students’ Union for making students “feel scared”.
PC Keith Emery
PC Keith Emery said it was “disappointing” to find out he had been banned from the Student Union offices at the College Road campus by President Assed Baig.
University Liaison Officer PC Emery told StaffsLive he was asked not to go into the Student Union offices as they are a safe zone for the students to relax.
He said: “It is disappointing that police officers have been excluded from the area as we have spent six years working very closely with the student union.
“It has burnt bridges with the confidence in what we have with each other.”
PC Emery says he was told by President Assed Baig and Vanessa Brumby (Education and Welfare Officer) that he made students feel scared and they felt they could not relax with him being in the student zone.
Mr Baig said: “We haven’t banned Keith Emery. What we have said is that upstairs is a safe space and we don’t want police coming upstairs without permission.
“If they see a police officer in here chilling with staff, how confident are they going to be in their police representative?
“We are happy to work with the police but if the police want to meet with us upstairs then they can let us know and we will come and meet them.”
The row centres around Mr Baig’s claims that student details were given to the Counter Terrorism Unit.
PC Emery has strongly denied the claim.
He also applied to have an office on the College Road campus near to the Student Union Shop.
He said: “I was informed that the presence of the police was a bit too close to the Students’ Union so that it would put people off going there.”
Mr Baig claims to know nothing about the police not being able to have an office near the Students’ Union:
I, as a student at this university, feel ten time more safe when there is a police officer around compared to when there is not.
Keith Emery and any other police officer should be allowed to come and go as they please. After all their job is to protect people, and majority of people feel safer when there are police around.
What exactly is frightening about a police officer being in a student space? Particularly Keith, he’s there to make students feel safe, and if you’ve ever spoken to him you should be aware that he’s lovely and friendly and does a wonderful job of keeping this campus safe. A police officer is no threat to anyone unless you’ve done something wrong surely?
Isn’t a police officer meant you to feel safe? Why would students feel like they can’t relax around a police officer unless they’re planning some kind of criminal activity?
This is a disgrace. Keith Emery is nothing short of a gentlemen and there is no way this should be allowed. Assed Baig should quit now before he is forced out. This decision makes our University look ridiculous.
Unless a student is planning criminal events, they’d have no reason to feel “scared” of a police officer being around. We pay our taxes in order for them to protect us…so they should have the right to go wherever they please – since when did a Student Union or a University have the right to dictate to the police anyway?
It’s disgusting, and I for one am pleased to say I would not attend a University who view the police as “scary” and choose to uphold such ludicracy…I attend a university that embraces and works very well with the police in order to protect and care for it’s students – which is more than Staffordshire University and it’s Student Union can claim!
Well this is a rather interesting incident. I would like to ask if the university could present evidence to support that this officer is “scary”.
I find it hypocritical that Mr Baig is upset that PC Emery may have released student information to the Counter Terrorism Unit considering he himself has recently illegally published information regarding local BNP members on the student union website.
I think some interesting points are raised here. I’ve met Kieth and personally don’t find him threatening in the slightest-thought he was a top bloke-although I cant speak for other students. Is the full audio from the interview available at all?
Surely, as president of the union, Assed Baig should be encouraging police and student relationships to close any previous gaps and prejudice there may have been. Plus, the presence of a police officer is to protect the union from crime. I can’t understand how someone would feel uncomfortable around a police officer unless they have done something wrong. This is not going to help anything, and surely just back fire on the union.
I know I would be put off by a university who has a union who discourages relations with the police. Makes me think “what are they really up to?”
I can’t think of a single reason outside of a criminal one why someone would not want a police officer to feel like they could enter what is essentially a public space (there are no checks made on student/staff status at the doors of any of the buildings in Staffs Uni). Personally, I feel that Assed is denying me one of my rights of protection by the police when I go about my daily business, which I pay for. As a student, I feel woefully let down by this ridiculous policy.
I think Assed has a rather huge chip on his shoulder and is simply exercising as much power over whoever he can whilst he can. Clearly he despises authority of any nature and his anti-establishment comments in this interview (and on other public forums, such as twitter) have extremely sinister undertones.
This argument of people feeling intimidated is so flimsy that it almost feels like this is some kind of far-fetched Hollywood plot.
I see the old classic chestnut has been used too; “loads of people are intimidated, but they’re too scared to say who they are and I want to protect them”. What complete rubbish. Assed preaches tolerance, yet amongst other obviously biased opinion about social groups he clearly sees every police officer as “the same” because they are “just following orders”. How bigoted and prejudiced of you, Assed.
Before anyone complains of this anonymous post, it’s not just Assed’s mates, cronies and side-kicks who are in fear – it’s rapidly becoming a fearful place at Staffs Uni with this extremism. Anyone speaking up against the lunacy of the current Union policy is publicly denounced as right wing, Nazi, Islam phobic, etc etc. Assed and his self-styled anti-fascists are becoming more and more fascist as the days go on in their efforts to make people fear the reprisals of using free speech.
It’s time for this to stop – before Staffs Uni becomes the laughing stock of all the UK’s academic institutions.
I feel safer without the police around, I prefer to be around people I can trust.
To be honest…
Students’ Union are being just as annoying as ever – and when did assed become president?
Staffs has changed – Keith should come back in, he is a supportive and makes everyone feel safe….
Sort yourselves out SU…
Ur supposed to be positive organising -what a joke! x
As an graduate student from staffs uni i think this absolutly ridiculous. In my first year i lived in the student accommodation and felt safer knowing there was a regular police officer nearby who I could go to should I need him. Claiming that he ‘makes students scared’ is just stupid and an unfounded accusation that obviously does not reflect the views of the majority.
Maybe if this Assed actually spoke to students outside his own circle of friends then he would realise that his choices are wrong in every way and are not supporting the students at the uni. Which is what he should be doing as president. If he cannot do this, then he should just resign and be done with it so someone who knows what the students who go to Staffs ACTUALLY want.
Fair enough alot of people hate the BNP and in my opinion they are not the best of parties but its not really fair giving out peoples addresses and making them subject to bullying. The university had a good name before all this nonsense get back on the ball!
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