In the midst of a chaotic week on campus which has seen violence , forceful police raids and trade-offs in blame for the events , UCLA’s Chancellor announced Sunday that he’s creating a new office in charge of safety and law enforcement, and he’s appointing a former police chief to lead it.
In a message to the campus community , Chancellor Gene Block said he’s taken action to “significantly alter” the campus safety structure.
“In the past week, our campus has been shaken by events that have disturbed this sense of safety and strained trust within our community,” Block said. “In light of this, both UCLA and the UC Office of the President have committed to a thorough investigation of our security processes. But one thing is already clear: To best protect our community moving forward, urgent changes are needed in how we administer safety operations.”
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Block said the oversight of campus safety and the UCLA Police Department, which previously was under the jurisdiction of the Office of the Administrative Vice Chancellor, deserves to be the sole responsibility of an individual in the university’s administration.