This report by members of the UAW 2865 Research Committee analyzes the University of California’s investment in policing through the creation and maintenance of its own police force, partnerships with other law enforcement agencies, and ties to the prison-industrial complex. Even before the founding of the University of California Police Department, the University advanced police militarization by promoting the use of tactical training and surveillance technology. Over the course of its existence, UCPD has played a forceful role in suppressing student and worker protests both targeting the University administration and advancing broader fights for justice, often supported by and in turn supporting external police departments. The report concludes that campus police have always served as an oppressive force, and piecemeal reforms have failed to change that fact. It is time to work toward abolition, committing funds to institutional structures that promote safety and stability instead of violently reacting to the symptoms of social insecurity. The authors hope that the report will serve as a tool for education, discussion, and organizing towards such ends. Read the full report here.
