BSDY has launched its Teach-in Series to impart community knowledge on Yale and police abolition. The first teach-in focuses on the history of YPD and its legacy of violence, the second teach-in focuses on Yale’s role in the criminalization of New Haven  and the community resources they should be funding.

TEACH-INS

ZINE

This zine provides a brief history of Yale Police Department’s existence as an oppressive presence on Yale’s campus. From police brutality to breaking up labor strikes, to targeting the LGBTQ+ community, the YPD's "authority without accountability" design is evident in its historical practices. 

ARticles

We have compiled a list of articles from other publications that speak to the history of police, police abolition or Yale Police specifically.

YPD RecorDS

We obtained these files from the Yale Police Department under the Freedom of Information Act. Some of our data requests are still pending, so check back for more resources as they come in. In the Use of Force Policies, particularly terrifying information is highlighted.

21CP

After the shooting of Stephanie Washington and Paul Witherspoon, Yale hired 21st Century Policing to assess YPD and make recommendations for improving public safety. The report was made public a year later, only after pressure from community organizers and BSDY.  BSDY has written a response to this report and its push for surface level reforms rather than institutional change.

Open Letter

On September 23rd, 2020, we released an open letter to Yale administration demanding a response to the calls for the abolishment of the Yale Police Department.

OP-ED

Three of our members, Jaelen King, Isaac Yearwood and Addee Kim wrote an op-ed for the Yale Daily News that gives an overview of demands and the reasons YPD should be abolished.

Path to Abolition

We have provided Yale administration with a path to abolition because there has been no response from Yale to us, or other community activists. This document includes rationale for our demands and establishes a framework to keep Yale accountable. We demand a response by September 27th.

Black Students for Disarmament at Yale (BSDY)