UCLA’s response to campus protests was inefficient, unclear, and occasionally chaotic, audit finds

UCLA police and administrators lacked sufficient plans with how to deal with campus disruptions earlier this year regarding the war in Gaza, were slow to respond and were “more chaotic than they should have been,” according to a report released Thursday following a five-month investigation.

In response, the independent audit is making a series of recommendations for UCLA after a student encampment against the war in Gaza ended in arrests and violence from counter-protestors on the Westwood campus earlier this year. They're designed to address shortcomings, failures, and system breakdowns, according to the report.

Michael V. Drake, president of the University of California system, said in a statement that they saw the limits of their traditional approach as conflict spread on campuses across the country.

“We are taking a close, detailed look at where we fell short and how we can do better moving forward,” he said in a statement. “This comprehensive review and these recommendations will help ensure that we have actionable plans and policies in place to prevent similar events from happening again.”

What the investigation found

The audit was done by 21st Century Policing Solutions, a consulting company with experience in policing reform, including at Harvard. The report said following the recommendations would help make sure UCLA’s response to civil disobedience aligns with its commitment to freedom of expression and protecting the campus community.

But they don’t just address civil disobedience — it could also lead to a better response for emergencies on campus, including natural disasters or mass violence.

UC officials noted that some of the recommendations are already underway.

The immediate recommendations

The audit notes that acts of civil disobedience are part of a proud history of student protest, and that UCLA administrators repeatedly made mistakes in April and May.

Other than a high-level document that wasn’t readily available to those who would need it, “UCLA did not, at the time of the encampment, have any plans for how to respond to campus disruptions and how decisions about University responses would be made.”

It recommends that the university come up with, and implement, specific campus safety plans for responding to civil disobedience, including clearly defined roles and lines of responsibility.

It also found that UCLA Police Department’s response was slower and more chaotic than it should have been. UCLA PD didn’t take control of the situation, and other law enforcement noted it seemed like “no one was in charge,” the report states.

It makes several suggestions for UCLA PD, including detailed action plans, regular exercises, mandatory training, and agreements with the Los Angeles Police Department.

Longer-term look

The longer-term suggestions are focused on reimagining and supporting campus safety.

UCLA did call the police to intervene — after officials realized the encampment and counter-protestors created a safety risk, according to the audit. But the investigation found that this style of policing reinforced the view of some student protesters that law enforcement were more interested in suppressing their rights than protecting them.

“UCLA must engage in a structured, inclusive, rigorous process of engagement with community stakeholders to understand their concerns, values, experiences, and priorities to determine the role of the police in fostering public safety, including by exploring what other resources are available or could be created,” the report states.

It noted that the university may need to take a hard look at long-standing assumptions about policing. And once an incident has been resolved, UCLA should communicate what happened and why the university made its decisions to boost transparency and trust.

What other steps UCLA has taken

UCLA said in a statement to LAist that it's committed to enhancing campus safety and learning from the events of last spring.

"We appreciate the work that went into producing the report, and will continue to implement the recommended reforms — many of which are already underway."

Those include a new Office of Campus Safety, which works directly with the LAPD and reports to the Chancellor.

And a few months later, UCLA announced policy changes to better govern campus protests and protected speech.