Yale University freshmen were greeted with ominous ‘Grim Reaper’ survival guides, courtesy of the university’s police union.

The leaflets, reminiscent of the notorious 1975 NYPD and firefighter pamphlet titled ‘Welcome to Fear City: A Survival Guide for Visitors to the City of New York,’ have sparked a wave of controversy and fear on campus.

The original 1975 leaflets were produced in response to large-scale police layoffs and advised visitors to avoid public transportation and stay off the streets after 6pm.

Similarly, the new leaflets handed out at Yale urged students to be off the streets by 8pm, avoid public transport, never walk alone, and never leave the university grounds. The leaflets also featured the same death’s head motif and concluded with the words ‘Good luck.’

The leaflets presented alarming crime statistics, claiming that murders had doubled, burglaries had increased by 33%, and motor vehicle thefts had risen by 56% during the seven-month period ending in July 2023.

These figures were purportedly provided by the Yale Police Benevolent Association to ensure students’ comfort and safety during their stay at Yale.

However, these grim warnings have been met with widespread condemnation. One freshman, Isabella Caltitla, expressed her fear and alarm after receiving the flyer while moving in.

She wasn’t alone in her sentiments; many students and parents were deeply disturbed by the leaflets’ content.

New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker and the university administration were quick to denounce the leaflets. Elicker labeled them as ‘childish and selfish,’ while the university criticized the ‘disturbing and inflammatory rhetoric about the safety of Yale’s campus.’

The university also suggested the police union’s actions were a negotiation tactic, as they are currently in contract negotiations with the university.

New Haven Board of Police Commissioner Mike Lawlor echoed these sentiments, stating the flyers were a blatant copy of the 1975 leaflets and designed to stir up fear. He described the distribution of such inflammatory and false information on one of the most important days in a student’s life as an outrage.

Despite the backlash, the police union defended its actions, insisting there is ‘no dispute on the facts.’

Spokesperson Andrew Matthews argued the union felt obligated to ensure that students don’t fall victim to crimes while attending Yale University. He highlighted the increasing instances of motor vehicles chasing each other down the streets of New Haven and shooting at one another.

This incident has undoubtedly cast a shadow over the start of the academic year at Yale. It remains to be seen how this situation will unfold and what impact it will have on the ongoing contract negotiations between the university and police union.