A Message from Vice Chancellor Marc Fisher
As part of its commitment to campus and community safety, UC Berkeley is considering new approaches to effective public safety to ensure that all students, faculty, and staff can pursue their academic goals in a safe and secure campus environment.
This page lists some of the organizations, programs, and projects dedicated to improving campus and community safety. As new projects and efforts are added, they will be included here.
As with all campuses in the University of California system, UC Berkeley operates its own police department charged with promoting safety on campus and the surrounding community. UCPD works with several campus departments to promote safety on campus including Facilities Services; Information Services & Technology; Environmental Health & Safety; Parking & Transportation; Student Affairs; Student Conduct; the Office for Prevention of Harassment & Discrimination; Clery Compliance; Emergency Management; and others. UCPD also works closely with the City of Berkeley Police Department and those from neighboring municipalities and agencies on a coordinated approach to safety in the communities around campus.
I encourage you to become familiar and involved in the efforts listed below. Our commitment to campus and public safety is more than a set of projects; it is a continuous effort. We will only succeed if all voices and perspectives are considered; I welcome your feedback, ideas, and suggestions.
Marc Fisher
Vice Chancellor, Administration
vca@berkeley.edu
UC COMMUNITY SAFETY PLAN
In August, 2021, University of California President Dr. Michael V. Drake, issued a systemwide Presidential Campus Safety Plan to enhance public safety at all UC campuses and locations. It was developed with extensive input from Chancellors, systemwide safety symposia, and public comment sessions over the last year. The plan specifies that there is no higher priority for the University than the safety and security of students, faculty, staff, patients, and visitors. With that objective, the plan proposes specific enhancements to policing and public safety for all UC locations.
CURRENT CAMPUS SAFETY PROJECTS
Chancellor Carol Christ issued a call to the University in 2020 to implement a series of short- and intermediate-term projects that could enhance campus and community safety. In March 2021, the People Lab conducted a survey of 56,200 UC Berkeley community members. The aim of the survey was to assess attitudes towards and perceptions of campus police, support for various public safety policy reforms, and how experiences and beliefs vary across different demographic groups.
The projects include:
- developing a new mental health response approach utilizing first responders trained in mental health counseling;
- transferring non-law-enforcement activities away from the police department to other campus departments;
- reducing the prominence of the police department near the campus' central location in Sproul Plaza and providing alternative locations for background-check fingerprinting.
The campus Business Process Management Office is tasked with tracking and reporting on the progress of these projects. Read more
CHANCELLOR'S INDEPENDENT ADVISORY BOARD ON POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY AND COMMUNITY SAFETY
In 2019, the Presidential Task Force on University-wide Policing recommended that each UC campus establish an Independent Advisory Board on Policing that would work with campus leadership, the campus community, and the campus police department to identify, make recommendations, and address issues involving the safety and quality of life of students, staff and faculty. The IAB at Berkeley issued a 2020 Annual Report with specific recommendations for enhancing campus and public safety. The campus Business Process Management Office is tasked with tracking and reporting on progress implementing the IAB's recommendations.
UC BERKELEY POLICE REVIEW BOARD
The Berkeley Campus Police Review Board exists to review appeals taken from civilian complaint investigations undertaken by the University of California Police Department. In appropriate cases, it has the power to order the department to reopen its investigation or to conduct its own independent investigation and hearings in the matter. The Board also performs an audit role, examining the overall performance of the department's complaint process and the quality of police-community interactions and making policy recommendations concerning those issues as appropriate.