Hanover forum on police response to Dartmouth protest provides few answers

This story by Patrick Adrian was first published in the Valley News on August 21.

HANOVER, N.H. — A public forum this week to discuss the police response to a May 1 pro-Palestinian demonstration on the Dartmouth College Green left participants with unanswered questions, including about the college’s handling of the situation and the level of police manpower brought to campus.

The two-hour forum, hosted by the Hanover Selectboard at the Howe Library on Tuesday evening, was intended to outline police department protocol relevant to the protest, when Hanover police, assisted by multiple law enforcement agencies, arrested 89 people, mostly Dartmouth students, faculty and staff.

Selectboard members said they wanted to hear the public’s thoughts and concerns about the incident.

“We hope that some of that fear (felt by people as a result of May 1) and mistrust will dissipate with a better understanding, which is really the core purpose of tonight,” Selectboard Chairman Carey Callaghan said in his opening remarks.

But several forum participants said the lack of detailed information from the town made it more difficult to gain a better understanding of what occurred.

“There were serious questions (during the forum) that the groups were asking in terms of what happened, when and why,” said Don Kollisch, a retired physician and former professor at Geisel School of Medicine. “And uniformly, those answers are not forthcoming.”

Following a short presentation by Hanover Police Chief Charlie Dennis on the department’s operating procedures, about 50 participating community members were divided into five small discussion groups, each moderated by a Selectboard member. Afterward, an overview of each group’s conversation was shared with the larger group.

Dennis would not directly discuss specifics of the May 1 protest because there are still active or pending cases pertaining to those events, the Selectboard said.

Instead, in a 20-minute presentation, Dennis discussed issues such as criminal trespassing statutes and how the department prepares for large public events such as political demonstrations.

The police department responds to trespassing cases, such as the campus protest in May, only after receiving a complaint from a property owner that a party has refused to leave the property, Dennis said.

“Once we get there, we will ask you to leave. … If you refuse to leave, you could be arrested,” Dennis said.

To determine the staffing, equipment or other resources needed to manage a large event such as a demonstration, police first assess potential risks, which includes looking at similar events occurring nationwide or regionally, as well as historical data, Dennis said. The department uses this analysis to create an operational plan, which includes what additional resources — such as assistance from other law enforcement agencies — may be necessary.

The Selectboard’s rules for the forum did not permit the public to ask Dennis questions, which meant that he didn’t even address questions pertaining to general police protocol. For example, multiple small groups asked what factors would lead to a request for state police assistance, a concern voiced by several residents. (A state Special Operations Unit was part of the May response.)

The lack of information also made it difficult to determine whether the amount of police force used on campus was excessive or appropriate for the situation, several groups said in their summaries.

Having a detailed timeline of events, for example, might shed light on when the police began planning for the demonstration, when the college began communicating with the police about its concerns or whether the college could have dedicated more effort to dispersing the gathering before seeking police assistance, some members of the small groups said.

Groups also discussed the public perception of the Green itself, as it is frequently used like a community space, though legally it is private property. Questions raised in discussions included whether Dartmouth should establish a public space for free speech and peaceful assemblies, or whether the college communicated sufficiently with the demonstrators that demonstrations were not permitted on the Green.

Kollisch said he was disappointed that representatives of the college did not participate in the forum, as their insight might have helped provide a better understanding.

Other participants said they felt the college provided ample notice to the demonstrators, as well as time to comply.

“I was once on the Green with political signage, and when I was told it was private property, I left,” said Hanover resident Lori Harriman. “You have to be following the rules or else face the consequences. That’s how I live in a community.”

In addition to the 50 participants at the forum, a group of about 20 people staged a demonstration outside the Howe Library to protest the forum. They expressed frustration that the event was scheduled at a time when many Dartmouth students were not on campus and that the public was not allowed to ask questions of Dennis.

“There are certain events that occurred on May 1 that the community is curious (about) … I think it’s only fair that the listening session addresses what happened on that day,” Daniel Lin, of Hanover, said in an interview.

Lin, one of the people arrested on May 1, was among the more than 170 people who signed a letter earlier this month asking the Selectboard to hold the forum when students return to campus for the fall term, which starts on Sept. 16.

The demonstrators attended the forum to hear Dennis’ presentation but then departed.

Some participants said they gained more understanding and perspective about the events on May1 in their discussion with other residents than from town officials.

“A number of people in our listening group felt that it was one of most constructive conversations they’ve had and that they were able to safely express what their opinions were and not feel like they would be bullied,” said Sarah Lord, of Hanover. “I would love to see more participation in (discussions) like this from the overall community and the Dartmouth community.”

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