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UCLA police chief out one month after scathing audit
John Thomas was selected UCLA police chief in January 2024.
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Courtesy UCLA Police Department
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Topline:
UCLA police chief John Thomas is out one month after a scathing audit criticized how the university handled protests last spring.
Why now: A University of California investigation released last month found administrators and police responded in a chaotic way to violence at an on-campus encampment last spring. University officials called on officers with the LAPD, California Highway Patrol, and UCLA police to respond to violence at the encampment. Police clashed with protesters and arrested more than 200 people.
Why it matters: UCLA students said their encampment, created in protest of Israel’s war effort in Gaza, was protected speech.
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Reactions: UCLA has not responded to requests for comment on whether Thomas was fired or resigned. The Federated University Peace Officers’ Association, the union that represents Thomas and other UC police officers, said Thomas became a scapegoat for the university’s missteps.
What's next: UCLA will go about hiring a new police chief. In a statement, a spokesperson for UC's Office of the President said "the specific hiring processes (i.e., members of an interview panel, how to advertise the role) will be determined by campus human resources personnel and the hiring manager."
Go deeper: Here’s the University of California audit released in November.
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