UC Law SF-UCSF Public Safety Partnership Proposal

A Public Meeting was held this morning to present the initial UC Law SF proposal to replace the college’s Public Safety Department with the University of California San Francisco Police Department (UCSFPD). All UC Law SF students, faculty, and staff were invited to attend.

UC Law SF General Counsel Elise Traynum welcomed attendees and introduced the proposal.

“The UC Law SF community is in need of additional protection which can only be provided by a police department,” said Traynum. “An advantage to entering into an agreement with UCSFPD is access to a broad array of basic police services and support services that the college cannot fund.”

“It is proposed that UCSFPD would handle all street patrols, investigations, and crime prevention services, emergency management functions in the event of life-threatening disasters, homeland security and related community policing responsibilities,” said Traynum.

Traynum also outlined options for the five affected UC Law SF Public Safety officer’s unit members, listing four possibilities: 1) Officers may be hired as police officers for UCSFPD if they meet requisite qualifications; or 2) Officers may be hired as security guards, or security guard supervisors, for UCSFPD if they meet required qualifications; or, 3) Officers may be hired for positions @ UC Law SF if they meet requisite qualifications; or, 4) for Officers who do not qualify for jobs with the UCSFPD or alternative position with UC Law SF, or officers who elect to not apply for these, the College would consider buying them out, at an amount to be determined.

Finally, Traynum underscored that reducing labor costs is not the motivation for contracting out public safety. “The motivation for contracting out public safety is to give the UC Law SF community access to a broad array of basic police services and support services that the college could not fund.”

UCSFPD Chief Mike Denson then presented “A Study of a Public Safety Partnership” (click here to view), and highlighted the department’s commitment to safety and security externally and internally, including the physical and emotional well-being of students.

Time for public comment was provided following the presentation, and the UC Law SF Public Safety Officers Association (PSOA) and representatives were also offered the opportunity to present a counter proposal at the meeting.

Acting Chancellor & Dean David Faigman called the input “enormously helpful” and laid out two basic principles he and the college will follow in making this decision. First, that any change would be to create a more secure and safer campus. Second, th@ UC Law SF will do the best we can for our current officers. He also noted th@ UC Law SF does not plan to raise tuition to improve safety and security. “If in the end it doesn’t make sense for our campus, we’re not going to do it,” concluded Faigman. “And if it does, we’ll do so in a conscientious manner.”

The college will hold a follow-up public meeting in April to present its final proposal. Details will be publicized widely.

MEDIA CONTACT
Alex A.G. Shapiro
Director of External Relations
UC Law SF College of the Law
Office: (415) 581-8842
Cell: (415) 813-9214
Email: shapiroa@uclawsf.edu