UCI Faculty Senate Report on UCIPD-Student Relations

I have obtained a report from the UC Irvine Faculty Senate from May 2017, which describes a study they made about student interactions with campus police.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iRGldN2EYpvI1lLirnmlEu9Csh5ajQfKsth_DaLf-FM/edit

file:///C:/Users/garyf/Downloads/A-Proposal-for-Improving-UCIPD-UCI-Community-Relations%20(4).pdf

The report also contains recommendations, some of which are interesting. It seems they feel that students who violate the law should be shielded by the campus police and/or something called the Event Management Team

1.  p. 11  - as of 4/18/17, the UCIPD reports to Ron Cortez, Vice Chancellor-Administrative and Business Services. All UC Police Depts ultimately report to the Office of the President (Janet Napolitano) in Oakland.  There is a "Council of Chiefs" by which all 10 UC campus police departments communicate with one another. 

2.  p. 16  - the UCIPD works closely with the Office of Student Affairs when there are concerns about protests.  Police are .trained to let members of the "Event Management Team" handle matters.  " Police are trained to allow the Event Management Team to oversee campus events and to avoid intervention unless or until the physical safety of individuals is at risk. " 

3.  p 17  "UCIPD officers are trained to be student caretakers and can work to insulate students from involvement in the criminal justice system."

4.  p. 19  - apparently, there are cameras in the police station that make both video and audio recordings.  Keep this in mind for visits there. 

Fousesquawk comment: So now the UCIPD is to be considered "Student Caretakers"! I have news for the Faculty Senate. Cops are not caretakers. They are supposed to be there to enforce the law. In addition, they are not supposed to show favoritism or extra sensitivity to so-called underrepresented  minorities, which if you follow UCI matters the last several years, does not include Jewish students. UCI is still having to deal with the May 3 disruption of a College Republican/Israeli soldier event that was disrupted by a bunch of rowdies brought onto campus by God knows who (I know who also). For years, Jewish students have had their events disrupted by pro-Palestinian students and their allies. However, the Jews do not fall into one of the categories of protected minorities, whereas their tormentors do.

I am hardly naive. I know full well that campus police act (or don't act) at the direction of the administrations of each campus. As for the UCIPD, I have interacted with them on many occasions. They are almost always courteous and professional. Occasionally, I have sometimes been critical and will continue to be so when the situation warrants. I always try to coordinate anything I do on campus with them.

Then there was this in the report:

P 5- The Committee received sufficient information about particular

incidents and about fears of bringing complaints to arouse concerns that lack of transparency and local accountability may undermine the legitimacy of the UCIPD, particularly among vulnerable groups who are part of the campus community. These groups include members of the campus community who are among racial minorities underrepresented on campus (particularly those who identify as Black); members of the campus community who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, or Queer (LGBTQ); members of the campus community who are immigrants, particularly undocumented immigrants; and members of the community.

Did you get everybody in there? As someone who taught part-time on that campus 1998-2016, I think this is bull. It's just standard politically correct bureaucratese. True, there was an unfortunate incident at UCI a few years ago concerning a black resident of University Hills, the faculty residential area, which is cited. The only group that is really marginalized on campus are Jews-in this fashion: When Jewish students try to have events supporting Israel, the events are disrupted, and no arrests are made-at least not since the 2010 Oren disruption. (The disruption of Israel ambassador to the US, Michael Oren's speech.) Jewish students who show any support for Israel are bullied and harassed by pro-Palestinian students, and the university does nothing. I've been saying this for years. 

This report is just more silly, liberal mishmash, found everywhere on college campuses. The UCIPD, in my view, does not deserve this questionable report.