All members of the UCR campus community are encouraged to participate in a Nov. 12 (3 p.m.) virtual town hall. You can register here. The purpose is to solicit broad campus input on the task force’s charge and possible recommendations.  Task force members will be available to answer questions and collect feedback.  For more information about the task force, its members, and meetings, please visit this website.

 

Background

Recent events around the country and world have further illuminated a host of historic inequities and injustices within society. We have heard the voices calling for change and are prepared to respond with informed action. How we secure our campus and ensure safety are areas that many agree warrant a comprehensive review. UC Riverside is fortunate to have a highly professional police department consisting of caring individuals, many of whom are UCR graduates. But we have a responsibility to ask challenging and fundamental questions about campus safety writ-large and how it aligns with our campus mission and values.

 

To begin that process, Chancellor Wilcox has appointed a Campus Safety Task Force comprised of students, staff, faculty, and community members, to advise on how we might improve safety, and the feeling of safety, for all members of the UCR community. I have asked this group to take a broad perspective on this assignment, seeking advice on budget, recruitment of officers, training, weapons, use of force, uniforms, community engagement, and oversight. 

 

Charge

The Task Force will review our overall campus safety efforts, focusing primarily on operation of the UCR Police Department and its relationship to other entities on campus and throughout the community. Given the breadth of this charge, the Task Force is free to prioritize topics that they believe to be more important, and not feel compelled to spend equal amounts of time on all aspects of the police department

 

Timeline

September 2020: Task Force Established

January 2021: Preliminary Recommendations 

March 2021: Begin Implementation of Recommendations