The police chief on the College of California, Los Angeles, has been reassigned following criticism over his dealing with of current campus demonstrations that included a mob attacking a pro-Palestinian encampment.
Chief John Thomas was quickly reassigned Tuesday “pending an examination of our security processes,” mentioned Mary Osako, UCLA vice chancellor for strategic communications, in a press release launched Wednesday.
The Every day Bruin reported late Tuesday that Thomas mentioned in a textual content to the campus newspaper, “There’s been a lot going on and, I learned late yesterday that I’m temporarily reassigned from my duties as chief.”
Neither Osako nor Thomas recognized his reassigned function.
The reassignment of Thomas follows UCLA’s Might 5 announcement of the creation of a brand new chief security officer place to supervise campus safety operations.
On April 30, counterdemonstrators attacked a pro-Palestinian encampment, throwing visitors cones, releasing pepper spray and tearing down obstacles.
Combating continued for a number of hours earlier than police stepped in, and nobody was arrested.
Not less than 15 protesters suffered accidents.
Thomas instructed the Los Angeles Instances in early Might that he did “everything I could” to supply safety and maintain college students secure throughout days of strife that left UCLA shaken.
However his response was roundly criticized and prompted Chancellor Gene Block to order a assessment of campus safety procedures.
Block then introduced that Rick Braziel, a former Sacramento police chief, would lead a brand new Workplace of Campus Security that can oversee the UCLA Police Division.
“To best protect our community moving forward, urgent changes are needed in how we administer safety operations,” Block mentioned within the Might 5 assertion.
Sporadic disruptions continued following the dismantling of a pro-Palestinian encampment and a few 200 arrests on April 30.
Block has been summoned to Washington by a Republican-led Home committee to testify Thursday concerning the protests on the Los Angeles campus.
The union that represents greater than 250 officers who police the ten UC campuses criticized Thomas’ reassignment.
“The UCLA administration owns the failure of any protest response, and the public should reject their attempts to shift blame to law enforcement,” Wade Stern, president of the Federated College Peace Officers’ Affiliation, mentioned in a press release Wednesday.
“The response to protests appears ad hoc and devoid of the structured planning mandated by the UC system.”
