Task Force on Campus Safety
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-March 2021: Preliminary Recommendations (Draft Task Force Report | Feedback from Academic Senate | Feedback from Graduate Student Association | Feedback from CHASS Executive Committee)
February-March 2021: Finalize Report and Recommendations for Implementation (Final Report | Message to Campus)
March 2021: Begin Implementation of Recommendations
Meeting Dates
Wednesday, 10/14 at 9:30 a.m. | Agenda | Minutes
Thursday, 10/29 at 1 p.m. | Agenda | Minutes
Thursday, 11/12 at 3 p.m. (Town Hall) | Agenda | Town Hall Recording (Passcode: 5qM#35y3) | Minutes
Wednesday, 11/25 at 1 p.m. | Agenda | Minutes
Thursday, 12/10 at 2 p.m. | Agenda | Minutes | Restorative Justice Presentation (Passcode: @Cba?53m)
Friday, 12/18 at 4 p.m. | Agenda | Minutes
Friday, 1/8 at 2 p.m. | Agenda | Minutes
Friday, 1/22 at 4 p.m | Agenda
Wednesday, 2/3 at 2 p.m | Faculty & Subject Matter Experts (Passcode: MN=M5ZyQ)
Thursday, 2/4 at 3 p.m. | Student Feedback Meeting (Passcode: 0HET+K.#)
Friday, 2/5 at 11 a.m. | Campus Safety Task Force Town Hall | Recording (Passcode: vv6&^sS)
Task Force Membership
Jack Clarke, Jr. (Chair), Partner, Best Best and Krieger
Luis Huerta, ASUCR President
Angelica Garcia, ASUCR Vice President of Internal Affairs
Nichi Yes, Graduate Student Association President
Judit Palencia Gutierrez, Graduate Student Association Vice President
Jason Stajich, Chair, Faculty Senate and Professor of Microbiology & Plant Pathology
Thomas Smith, Interim Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor
Mariam Lam, Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Brian Haynes, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
Dennis McIver, President, Staff Assembly
Wade Stern, President, UCR Police Officer Association
Michelle Burroughs, Member, UCR Black Faculty & Staff Association
Alton Carswell, Case Manager, Student Affairs
John Freese, Interim Police Chief
Kim Overdyck, Senior Investigator, Chief Compliance Office
Bert Wright, Immediate Past President, UCR Black Alumni
Hon. Jorge Hernandez, Riverside County Superior Court Judge
Keona Henderson, President, UCR Black Alumni
Sharon Oselin, Associate Professor of Sociology and Public Policy (on sabbatical during winter quarter)
Staff Support
Christine Victorino, Associate Chancellor
David Bergquist, Chief Campus Counsel
Megan Johnson, Administrative Specialist