The University of California board of regents has approved the request for additional non-lethal weapons by UCLA police. This decision comes after the university faced significant student protests against the Israel-Hamas war which resulted in injuries and arrests. The equipment requested and approved include pepper balls, sponge rounds, projectile launchers, and new drones. This approval extends to equipment purchases for other police departments on UC campuses as well.
During the regents meeting, student protestors were removed from the room following disruptions when the agenda item was brought up. Criticisms from faculty and students have been raised against UCLA police for their use of non-lethal weapons during campus demonstrations, where some protesters sustained injuries. A UCLA student association representative, Tommy Contreras, expressed outrage at the university’s allocation of funds towards military equipment while cutting resources for education.
It is a statutory requirement for California law enforcement agencies to provide an annual report on the acquisition and utilization of weapons classified as “military equipment.” A UC spokesperson clarified that this agenda item was routine and not triggered by any specific incidents. The spokesperson emphasized that the equipment provides officers with non-lethal options to firearms for de-escalating situations without resorting to deadly force.
The requests made by UCLA police include adding 3,000 more pepper balls to their current stock of 1,600, 400 more sponge and foam rounds to their inventory of 200, eight additional “less lethal” projectile launchers, and three new drones. According to the spokesperson, many of these requests are for replacements or training purposes, with the drones intended for assisting in search and rescue missions. Notably, the equipment is neither military surplus nor designed for military use.
The recent report to the regents confirmed no complaints or policy violations related to the deployment of military equipment in 2023. History professor Robin D.G. Kelley shared a concerning experience where a student he was with had to be hospitalized after being shot in the chest during a June 11 demonstration, causing significant trauma. UC’s systemwide director of community safety emphasized that the weapons are not meant for crowd control or peaceful protests but for life-threatening or violent situations identified by campus leadership as requiring force to defend individuals.