Mugar worker claims profiling by BUPD force

Boston University Mugar Library assistant Darrell Emory said he plans to file a report with the BU Police Department today, citing personal harassment and racial profiling by BUPD officers during 10 of his 18 years at the university – marking the second harassment case against BUPD within the past two years.

A suit was filed June 18, 2003 in Suffolk Superior Court by former Deputy Chief Enrico Cappucci against BUPD Chief Robert Shea for racial profiling, nepotism and discrimination, according to a Sept. 8 article in The Daily Free Press.

In Emory’s case, he said he has been confronted by BUPD officers more than five times since 1995. He said the most recent incident occurred at approximately 10:05 a.m. Wednesday while he was sitting in the back of the George Sherman Union with some of his co-workers.

“An officer was on detail … He went into the mens’ room and then left the mens’ room and then he went out to his detail,” Emory said. “But, then within seven or eight minutes he came back in, he looks at me and questions me and asks for my identification.”

Emory said he was on a break with his co-workers from his 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. shift at Mugar.

“He told me I looked like somebody he arrested,” Emory said. “I know to an extent they are doing their job. I can understand if I’m doing something suspicious or bothering students, but I was just sitting there drinking tea.”

BUPD Captain Robert Molloy said while he could not confirm or deny if Emory came into the station Wednesday, he said a person did voice a harassment complaint late Wednesday afternoon.

“He was going to give us something in writing against an officer about harassment,” Molloy said, adding that under law he cannot release victims’ identities. “We are going to investigate [the complaint], find out exactly what happened. It’s too early now to know what happened and I don’t know about any other previous complaints.”

Emory said at 3:45 p.m. Wednesday he walked over to the BUPD station and expressed his concerns to a sergeant, who had him fill out a complaint form.

“My main thing is that this has happened over and over,” Emory said. “I want to know why it’s happening – is it just me? Is it just black males? I’ve seen Caucasian men and bums reportedly coming through the library and no one has said anything to them … So if you’re going to target me why not target them?”

Emory said although he has discussed the repeated incidents with officers at the time, this was the first official complaint he has voiced.

“[The officer’s] reaction was that I fit the description of somebody, but I could fit the description of a whole bunch of people,” he said, adding that officers in the past have had similar responses.

He said aside from being physically approached more than five times by different BUPD officers, there been “many more minor” instances of alleged profiling.

“For example, in ’97 they had some problems with wallet theft and two undercover detectives came down to the library to check it out,” he said. “I was in the library working and putting books away … and I was questioned by them and asked why I was in the library. I told them to go ask my boss Luiz Costa downstairs.

“Granted this was tiny, but when it happens for 10 years, it gets to you,” he continued.

Emory said he is unsure if similar incidents occur on campus.

“I can only speak for myself,” he said. “I’m not looking for any money. I just want to make more of the police aware that there are other crimes happening and that they shouldn’t be targeting people of color … It really makes you feel embarrassed in front of your peers. It feels degrading.”

Emory said if the BUPD does not adjust its behavior, he will pursue legal action against the force.

Molloy said he cannot yet comment on Emory’s allegations, but said BUPD will follow up any complaints with an investigation.

DFP Staff Writer Johanna Kassel contributed to this report.