by Adam Walker The New Haven independent
A years-long breakdown in communication between the Yale University Police Department and New Haven’s Civilian Review Board (CRB) came to light on Monday evening, as CRB members pressed Yale Police Chief Anthony Campbell to explain why their calls for oversight had gone unanswered — despite clear obligations in local law.
The exchange took place during a special meeting of the CRB, held at City Hall and via Zoom, where tensions centered on a long-requested Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that would grant the board formal authority to review public complaints involving Yale police officers.
Although a 2019 ordinance explicitly grants the CRB authority to oversee “civilian complaints of police misconduct by police officers empowered to act with municipal police powers in the City of New Haven,” board members said Yale has never followed through on its obligations under that law. Despite repeated outreach over several years, they said, the university has failed to establish any formal process for communication or oversight.
“I joined the board a few years ago, and from the start, one of the main concerns was the lack of response from the Yale University Police Department,” said CRB member Germano Kimbro. “Several letters were sent, and I was told there was no response and this is going on for several years.”
Kimbro, who has worked closely with police departments in community-building initiatives, emphasized that his concerns stem from a desire for accountability, not animosity toward law enforcement.
Campbell acknowledged the department had not responded to the CRB’s past outreach and said he had missed prior invitations to collaborate due to overwhelming email volume during periods of protest and crisis on campus.
“We should have had someone here. I’m not making any excuses,” he said. “Sometimes I get over 100 emails per day.”
Campbell confirmed that Yale’s internal Police Accountability Board — which previously served as its main oversight body — has been inactive since late 2024 and is currently being revamped with no clear timeline for return. He also reiterated that YPD shares police authority through the city Board of Police Commissioners and operates similarly to the city’s own force.
The Yale Daily News had reported that the university’s longstanding Police Advisory Board, which included student and community representation, was quietly discontinued last year. The board had not met in months, and its operations appeared to dissolve amid leadership turnover, protests, and the graduation of student members.
Currently, YPD has 93 sworn officers and follows internal complaint procedures through its Professional Standards Division. According to Chief Campbell, all complaints are logged and reviewed, with complainants receiving a tracking number and confirmation within 48 hours. More serious allegations — classified as Class 1 or 2 complaints, such as excessive force — trigger formal investigations, mirroring the process used by the NHPD
Still, CRB members stressed that internal mechanisms are no substitute for independent oversight — especially when it comes to transparency for members of the broader New Haven community, not just Yale’s campus.
Campbell said Yale is actively reviewing its systems — not only its internal accountability board but also broader alignment with NHPD policies, particularly around shared jurisdiction, protest response, and complaint protocols.
“There is room for improvement. The university is always trying to do better,” Campbell said, adding that YPD is working to improve communication, clarify who responds to what incidents, and streamline coordination with city agencies.
Yet when pressed on whether any version of Yale’s accountability board currently exists, Campbell confirmed that it does not. He was also unable to provide a timeline for when the new board would launch or when a draft of the long-delayed MOU might finally be shared with the CRB.
For now, the relationship between Yale’s police force and the city’s civilian oversight board remains uncertain — with no written framework yet in place to ensure public complaints against Yale police are reviewed independently.