Case Western Reserve University’s police force saw far bigger roster fluctuations in 2024 than most Ohio colleges during turbulent times on their campuses.
In May, the private Cleveland university added 35 part-time officers to its campus force, according to state records reviewed by Signal Ohio. That’s a notable increase to the university’s 40-officer force.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s office maintains a database tracking police officer hires. Those records show almost all of the new part-time hires started on May 10.
That was the same day students at the university disbanded a pro-Palestinian encampment on campus. Student protestors said at the time that they felt pressured by the university’s administration to do so after 11 turbulent days of protests. Case Western Reserve was one of nearly 80 U.S. colleges where students camped out to protest the war in Gaza and show support for Palestine.
Tensions ran high during those nearly two weeks on the University Circle campus. Students pitched tents in front of the university’s library. Some later camped out in front of the administrative building that contains the office of President Eric Kaler. Students at the university wanted, among other demands, the administration to divest any financial interests in Israel.
When asked if the university added officers specifically in response to campus unrest, the university said that it hired the officers to assist its police force during spring commencement.
A commencement schedule posted online shows the first graduation-related events began five days after the encampment disbanded.
Case Western Reserve had never added such a large number of part-time officers during commencement before, according to the database, which tracks police hiring over the last two decades.
Case Western Reserve also added additional officers in October
The officers hired by Case Western Reserve in May worked between 14 and 18 days.
Many of the officers were also listed as full- and/or part-time officers with nearby police departments, including those in North Olmsted, Cleveland Heights and Middleburg Heights, the database from Yost’s office shows.
In October, the university again hired another group of part-time officers for its force. Ten officers were added to its roster, including one for just three days.
The start date for those hires was on or near Oct. 7. That’s also the anniversary of the Israel-Hamas war.
The university said these hires were to “assist police efforts related to the election.” The university had never hired additional officers during previous presidential elections, according to the police database.
Officials declined to say how much they paid for these additional officers. The university is currently hiring for a full-time police officer with a starting salary of $59,000.
“Safety of the university community is our top priority, and adjustments to police and security staffing are made when the university needs to address a safety issue,” Case Western Reserve said in a statement.
Case Western Reserve officers have the authority of city police officers. They are “armed and have full arrest authority and police powers on or within 300 feet of the CWRU campus or the expanded jurisdiction, according to the most recent edition of a Case Western Reserve’s annual safety report. The federal Clery Act requires all colleges to report crimes daily and produce those annual reports.
Ohio State, Kent State didn’t make major changes to police forces
State records show most other colleges in Ohio didn’t add nearly as many officers to their forces during those same time periods.
Ohio State University’s campus police force saw no additions in May and one full-time officer in October. Kent State University added just one full-time officer in May. Xavier University, a private institution located in Cincinnati, didn’t add any during those months.
Lots of factors can influence the number of officers employed by a college or university, including the type of institution and how many students it enrolls.
One 2013 report from the U.S. Department of Justice estimates that private universities enrolling between 10,000 and 15,000 students — the category Case Western Reserve falls within — have on average about 49 police officers. A community college of that same size could have about 17 officers. A public university could employ around 24 officers, according to the report.
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