The chief of police at the University of California, Los Angeles, has been transferred by the university as it launches an investigation into campus security procedures.
Chief John Thomas will be temporarily replaced by Captain Gawyn Gibson as the university considers its response to anti-Israel protests that raged on campus for several days in April.
“There’s a lot going on and I learned late yesterday that I have been temporarily removed from my duties as chief,” Thomas was quoted as saying. Campus newspaper “The Daily Bruin”.
Scattered protests have continued into this month as students continue to be defiant towards university administrations in disruptive protests against Israel’s invasion of Gaza, which took place in response to a Hamas terror attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, that left around 1,200 people dead.
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Anti-Israel demonstrators stand with shields across from law enforcement at the UCLA encampment in Los Angeles. (Eric Thayer/Getty Images)
UCLA has created a new office to lead an investigation into security lapses throughout the campus protests.
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“As we stated on May 5, UCLA is creating a new Office of Campus Safety and is leading a thorough review of our security processes with the goal of improving the well-being and safety of our community,” UCLA Vice Chancellor for Strategic Communications Mary Osako said in a statement to the Daily Bruin.
Police detained protesters inside an anti-Israel encampment on the UCLA campus in Los Angeles. (AP/Ethan Swope)
UCLA said early on that officials were “monitoring the situation to support a peaceful campus environment that respects the community’s right to free expression while minimizing disruption” and made repeated attempts to allow space for the protests.
At the height of the demonstrations, demonstrators erected fences to keep out law enforcement and forced all students to learn remotely.
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Hundreds of students protested outside a campground on the UCLA campus in Los Angeles. (Keith Birmingham/Media News Group/Pasadena Star News via Getty Images)
On April 26, UCLA said it was “following the University of California’s system-wide policy guidance of not pre-emptively seeking law enforcement involvement and only requesting it when absolutely necessary to protect the physical safety of the campus community.” ” he said.
On April 30, a nine-hour standoff ensued on the UCLA campus that ultimately resulted in the arrest of hundreds of protesters.
