Bates Removes Batons From Safety Officers

Bates College has decided to take away batons carried by its safety officers, the Associated Press reported. Bates acted after a petition was signed by 18 groups and 546 people.

The petition by the Bates Leftist Coalition and the Bates Restorative and Transformative Justice Coalition called for the removal of batons from the officers and opposed equipping them with body cameras, the Sun Journal reported.

The petition was the result of an altercation on March 5 between a veteran officer and a first-year student who refused to identify himself. The officer was subsequently fired.