When I was attending UC Berkeley (20 years ago), a young man was raped by a homeless, stoned, crazy person in the Law School. I think the armed cops are a necessity.
And, I was attending Berkeley 50+ years ago. The police were feared, but respected. Feared because somebody in the crowd might have alcohol, but respected because we knew the police were there for our protection. Then the hippies poured in from NY and Chicago and upset the applecart. It’s never been the same since, and it’s never had the same high academic standing either.
Given how stupid and evil cops are these days and how unaccountable management is for them when they abuse power, I think it is time to discuss removing non-leathal weapons and swat teams from the mix.