University of Michigan drops private security after reports of surveillance

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — The University of Michigan said it’s cutting ties with a private security company that was accused of following pro-Palestinian activists on and off campus.

The university said it found the actions of one security company employee “disturbing, unacceptable and unethical.” It did not elaborate.

“Going forward, we are terminating all contracts with external vendors to provide plainclothes security on campus,” President Domenico Grasso said in a statement Sunday.

In a Guardian story last week, students said they were surveilled around Ann Arbor. The news outlet posted video from a member of a Muslim group who decided to confront a man who was watching him from a car last summer. That man in turn yelled and accused him of trying to steal his wallet.

Tensions have been high between the university and pro-Palestinian student groups. A student encampment stood for a month on campus last year before authorities shut it down citing safety issues.

Seven people were charged with felonies related to the encampment’s removal, though charges were dropped in May.

The university, which has campus police, said it hired private security about a year ago to report suspicious activity in high-traffic areas, not to perform surveillance.

“No individual or group should ever be targeted for their beliefs or affiliations,” Grasso said.