Drones, a breaching tool to open barricaded rooms, and a "hazardous devices" robot are among military equipment that University of California police departments are requesting this year from the state.
According to a report released by the UC Council of Chiefs of Police this month, schools within the university system are also requesting specialized firearms and ammunition of less than .50 caliber, including assault weapons. The UC Board of Regents will decide whether to approve the requests at its Thursday meeting.
UC Berkeley is seeking a second hazardous devices robot to upgrade their outdated technology and ensure readiness in case their current 20-year-old robot fails, and a "kinetic breaching tool" to use in the event of a "barricaded subject or unresponsive individual due to a medical issue." UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC Santa Cruz and UC San Francisco, are collectively requesting drones as well.
Dan Mogulof, assistant vice chancellor from UC Berkeley, told University Herald on Wednesday that the drones would be unarmed and used to "assist first responders in enhancing public safety by providing an aerial perspective."
UC Merced, UCLA and UC San Francisco are additionally requesting new launchers which shoot non-lethal munitions such as sponge rounds, chemical agents and pepperballs.
Such requests aren't new --- the university system's police departments have been required to record their inventory, requests and use of military equipment by state law since 2021.
However, this year's weapons requests follow confrontations between law enforcement and pro-Palestinian student protesters at multiple UC campuses, resulting in dozens of arrests and suspensions in the spring. Protests have continued to crop up during the fall semester.
"The University of California just announced a list of military weaponry it wants in order to escalate its warfare on its students," a Los Angeles group that opposes police surveillance, posted on X on Friday.
The UC Student Association also expressed opposition to the weapons requests, telling the San Francisco Chronicle "we are troubled to see campuses invest money in weapons, rather than student basic needs." Its president, UC Davis senior Aditi Hariharan, asked the regents to reject the requests.
Each university will hold a public community engagement meeting on Oct. 8 at 5 p.m. regarding the report, according to the UCPD website.