The University of California, Los Angeles says it will change school security operations in light of violence in recent campus protests over the war in Gaza.
Chancellor Gene D. Block announced the move Sunday, saying it's clear that “urgent changes are needed in how we manage security operations” to better protect the school community. He also pledged to conduct a “thorough investigation of our security processes.”
Block said oversight and management of the UCLA Police Department and Office of Emergency Management will move to a newly created Office of Campus Safety. The head of the office will report directly to Block, the chancellor explained in a statement.
“It is clear that UCLA needs a unity and a leader whose sole responsibility is campus safety to guide us through tense times,” Block said.
Block also announced that Rick Braziel, former chief of the Sacramento Police Department, will lead the office as associate vice chancellor. Braziel has more than 30 years of experience in public safety, serving as an instructor in community policing and leading reviews of law enforcement departments and police responses, the chancellor said.
Some context: The change comes after protesters calling for an end to the war in Gaza and university divestment from Israel set up camp on the UCLA campus.
School officials called the police, who appeared to fire rubber bullets as they chased away the protesters.
Masked men were also seen attacking the pro-Palestinian camp for hours without police intervention, punching, punching and kicking protesters, according to video from the scene and witness accounts.
Block acknowledged in his statement that recent events had “shaken trust within our community,” but did not reference any specific incident.
