December 2, 2019

Dear Members of Our Campus Community,

I am pleased to announce the formation of a Police Advisory Board made up of representatives from across campus who will work collaboratively to enhance communication between the police department and the campus community, and to address issues involving the safety and well-being of our students, staff, faculty, and our community.

Consistent with the recommendation of the UC Presidential Task Force on Universitywide Policing, our Police Advisory Board will function as an independent advisory board to provide an important forum to bring stakeholders together and facilitate engagement with the campus community. The Board will collaborate with the UC Santa Barbara Police Department (UCPD) in creating shared learning environments where officers and members of the campus community can interact in an effort to advance relations across the campus.

The Board will be charged with collaborating with our police department in reviewing department policies and recommending beneficial changes to police practices and training. In addition, the Board will receive continuous education on the relevant laws and issues related to policing, including the existing training standards and policies. The independent advisory board will have access to all reports, data, and audits that are publicly available involving our campus police department and their operations, and is tasked with preparing an annual report of the Board’s activities.

We appreciate the service and leadership of our Interim Police Chief James Brock and the dedicated officers who help ensure a safe and productive learning, working, and living environment for our students, staff, and faculty. The UCPD and the campus community can continue to strengthen their partnership to enhance the transparency of operations, improve interactions with the community, and further the mission and values of our University.

After broad consultation with our campus community, including our Academic Senate, administrative and staff colleagues, and our student leadership, I am pleased to announce the membership of the Police Advisory Board. I want to express my sincere appreciation to Professors Geoffrey Raymond and Sharon Tettegah for agreeing to serve as co-chairs of this board, and to all the members for their willingness to participate on this important advisory board. The members of the Board are listed below.

Sincerely,

Henry T. Yang
Chancellor

 

Police Advisory Board

Geoffrey Raymond, Co-Chair; Chair and Professor, Sociology

Sharon Tettegah, Co-Chair; Professor, Black Studies; Director, Center for Black Studies Research

Katya Armistead, Assistant Vice Chancellor and Dean of Student Life

Kelly Barsky, Deputy Director of Intercollegiate Athletics

Richelle De Los Santos, Staff representative

Richard Duran, Professor, Education

Matt Hall, Associate Vice Chancellor for Information Technology/Chief Information Officer

Jeike Meijer, Associated Students representative

Victor Rios, Professor, Sociology

Ram Seshadri, Professor, Materials

Kim Yasuda, Professor, Art

TBD, Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

TBD, Graduate Student Association representative

 

Ex officio:

Jim Brock, Interim Chief of Police