March 3, 2022

Dear Members of Our Campus Community:

The safety and health of our community – both on campus and in and around Isla Vista — is our highest priority. The recent violent assaults in Isla Vista and in the vicinity of campus housing in the Isla Vista neighborhood were distressing for all of us, with particular impact on our students who are residents of Isla Vista. These incidents have had the full attention of the University and have been under active investigation from the start. We are writing with an update on what is being done to solve these crimes and to address the impacts of these events.

The University of California Police Department (UCPD) and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office (SBCSO) are conducting two separate, ongoing investigations related to the crimes, which UCPD believes were committed by the same individual. UCPD and the SBCSO are in close contact regarding the two investigations and are following up on several leads for the individual cases.

Since the initial incidents, UCPD has received a significant number of reports from our UC Santa Barbara community and has been addressing each and every tip that comes in. They will persist until the case is resolved. We are deeply grateful for our community’s help in trying to apprehend the individual who is responsible for these crimes, and we ask community members to call 9-1-1 if there are immediate safety concerns for yourself or others, or (805) 893-3446 with any information or to report any suspicious circumstances.

The SBCSO has recently posted an update on their ongoing investigation.

We will update our community with any critical developments related to the investigation as it progresses.

To address concerns of safety in the immediate term, UCPD has increased their patrols on campus and in Isla Vista and will take on a higher visibility role across our community. The University is also increasing Community Service Officer (CSO) shifts to make their presence in Isla Vista and on campus more visible.

We continue to encourage UC Santa Barbara community members to be aware of our surroundings, to be vigilant, and to call our CSO Safety Escort program at (805) 893-2000 any time (seven days a week), day or night, for a safety escort on campus or in Isla Vista. Additional campus resources are listed at the bottom of this message.

As an additional measure given the concern for safe transit of our students, the UCSB Associated Students Safe Transportation program is providing reimbursement for undergraduate students who use a ride share (Uber, Lyft, taxis, etc.) that starts or ends on the UCSB campus within the hours of 6pm and sunrise, up to $12 per ride. Undergraduates can apply for reimbursement beginning Friday, March 4, 2022, at noon at https://tinyurl.com/SafeTransportation. 

Isla Vista holds a special place in the hearts of our students, staff, faculty, and alumni. It is a vibrant and caring community. The University has collaborated with the County of Santa Barbara and the IVCSD on many safety improvements, including our partnership with and funding for the IV Foot Patrol, UCPD patrols in Isla Vista, and partnering with the IVCSD to provide IV with a detective for interpersonal violence crimes, as well as financial resources that have been used to increase lighting, build sidewalks, and make street improvements over the years.

We are committed to working in partnership with our students, with our local governments, and with the Sheriff’s Office to confront head-on any safety concerns in the community that many of our students, staff, and family call home.

Sincerely,

Alex Yao, Chief of Police, UCPD
Garry Mac Pherson, Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services
Margaret Klawunn, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
Henry T. Yang, Chancellor

Links to Campus Resources: 

  • If you have immediate safety concerns, please call 911 for emergencies. 
  • For other time-sensitive or urgent matters, call UCPD at (805) 893-3446.
  • For non-urgent incidents on UCSB property (campus/off campus university property or housing), you can also use www.police.ucsb.edu/report-crime.
  • For individuals who may have knowledge directly relevant to this Santa Barbara County Sheriff's case, please contact the Isla Vista Foot Patrol at (805) 681-4179. You also can provide anonymous information by calling the SBSO tip line at (805) 681-4171 or online at sbsheriff.org.

CARE (Confidential): Professional Crisis Advocates 24/7 Crisis Line, 805-893-4613. Serves students, staff, and faculty. Our new location is the 2nd Floor of the Student Resource Building. Visit CARE at https://care.ucsb.edu/.

Title IX: Ensures all UCSB community members fulfill the campus’s commitment to create and maintain a work and academic environment free of sex discrimination, sexual harassment and sexual violence. Visit Title IX at https://titleix.ucsb.edu/.

UCSB ASAP (Academic Staff Assistance Program): Supports the health and well-being of faculty, staff, and family members. Call 805-893-3318 or visit ASAP at https://www.hr.ucsb.edu/hr-units/employee-services/asap.

CAPS (Confidential): The best way to get connected to CAPS is to have an Initial Brief Assessment. When you are ready to explore options for mental health services, please call CAPS at 805-893-4411 or submit a CAPS Services Request Form.

Office of the Ombuds (Confidential): Provides confidential consultation services to faculty, staff, students, parents, or anyone else with a campus-related concern. The ombuds addresses workplace issues, interpersonal conflict, academic concerns, policy questions, and many other problems. Visit https://ombuds.ucsb.edu/ or call 805-893-3285.

STESA (Confidential): Off-campus organization that provides counseling and support services to survivors of sexual assault and their loved ones. 24-Hour Hotline: 805-564-3696 or visit STESA at https://sbstesa.org/.

CONTACTS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT

UCPD: For time-sensitive or urgent matters, please call 805-893-3446. For non-urgent incidents on UCSB property (campus/off campus university property or housing), you can also visit https://www.police.ucsb.edu/report-crime.

Sheriff's Office: Isla Vista Foot Patrol, 805-681-4179.

District Attorney’s Crime Victim Assistance: 805-568-2408 or https://www.countyofsb.org/da/victim-witness-unit.