California Campus Police Ask for More Drones, Other Tools for Protest Response

UCLA police, who were called on to handle some of the nation’s largest campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war last spring, are asking for approval to double their stockpile of less-lethal projectiles, obtain eight more projectile launchers, and purchase three new drones.

The University of California Board of Regents will consider the requests by UCLA, along with the other nine UC campus police departments, Thursday Sept. 18.  All California law enforcement agencies are required by state law to report annually on the acquisition and use of weapons characterized as “military equipment.” A UC spokesman called the police requests a “routine agenda item” not tied to protests or other particular incidents, the Los Angeles Times reports.

“All of the campus’s requests are for non-lethal alternatives to standard-issue firearms, enabling officers to de-escalate situations and respond without the use of deadly force,” UC spokesman Stett Holbrook said in a statement. “The requested items are essential for maintaining operational readiness, supporting ongoing training programs, and above all, ensuring public safety.”

The request for more police tools drew fire from some speakers in public comments at the regents meeting Wednesday at UCLA.

“The UC should prioritize safety through de-escalation, not militarization,” faculty member Isabella Arzeno Soltero told the regents, asking them to vote down the weapons requests. “We should reallocate these funds to resources that enhance education and the welfare of our students, not tools of oppression.”

UCLA police are requesting up to 3,000 more pepper balls to add to their inventory of 1,600; up to 400 more sponge and foam rounds, double the current stockpile of 200; eight more projectile launchers and three new drones.

Other UC campus agencies are requesting drones, breaching tools, robots, and less-lethal rounds and launchers.