As Brookline residents and students who live in the town air their grievances about student behavior and police actions in the suburb, a fact appears to be missed by many on both sides: Students living in Brookline are in fact residents of Brookline, if only for a short time.
Students, like families and professionals living in town, seek the high standard of living Brookline offers. Other neighborhoods provide a more forgiving attitude toward late-night partying or student raucousness. For some students, however, the atmosphere of Brookline justifies the rent increases from Allston-Brighton. Though students living in Brookline should not, and for the most part do not, expect to be able to disturb permanent resident life, they do deserve the same freedom from undue suspicion that other residents paying to live in the area enjoy.
Brookline police and some residents appear to be partaking in a sort of demographic profiling by looking specifically for student offenders in certain neighborhoods. Vehement permanent resident concerns have been raised in town meetings and with Brookline officials. Less often, however, have students come forth to discuss their concerns that they are being unfairly targeted by law enforcement when they are partaking in completely legal and unobtrusive activities. When the Brookline selectmen heard complaints from Brookline residents this summer about the approaching move-in of Boston University students and others from nearby colleges, they left no opportunity for students to defend their mere presence in town.
In light of student accusations of police harassment, it appears certain permanent residents, town officials and police officers took an offensive approach to patrolling neighborhoods where many students live. However, the absence of community engagement with students should not be filled by enthusiastic policing. Students should be engaged by permanent residents in well-advertised public meetings so problems are resolved without police intimidation. It’s easier for students to talk with permanent residents who are concerned about losing sleep because of student neighbors than with a police officer at 2 a.m.
It is troubling that the reports students are making of what the Brookline police are calling grounds for reproach are about normal activities. Smoking cigarettes outside apartment buildings or carrying on conversations on cellphones should not beget problems that require police interaction. Loud conversations or other ordinary problems anyone may be oblivious he is causing can be handled by reasonable requests that would be made from one citizen to another. Police officers should be the last people called to the scene for nonviolent neighborhood disputes.
If an atmosphere existed in which residents felt comfortable confronting students and students believed permanent residents would respect them, neighborhoods would improve for everyone. The closed meeting between BU officials, Student Union representatives and Brookline police that occurred yesterday may have been well intentioned. However, public engagement that includes permanent residents is necessary to resolve this sudden upsurge in community animosity. Students should feel included, rather than alienated, by the Town of Brookline. Putting aside prejudicial views about one another, students and permanent residents could some day actually benefit from cohabitation.
