UCPD forum addresses questions on police brutality, body cameras

Students talked with university police officers about UCPD’s lack of body cameras and about the use of Long-Range Acoustic Devices during Undie Run, among other concerns, during a forum Monday.

About 30 students attended the open discussion on campus, which included UCLA Chief of Police James Herren, police Capt. Manny Garza, Crime Prevention Officer Erik Rakowski and patrol officer London McBride.

Undergraduate Students Association Council Internal Vice President Heather Hourdequin and USAC Cultural Affairs Commissioner Irmary Garcia organized the event.

After participating in a student-led town hall in December to discuss police brutality toward people of color, Garcia said she wanted to work with Hourdequin to focus on concerns students have about UCPD.

Early in the forum, a student asked whether Long-Range Acoustic Devices, which are sound cannons that can emit a strong screeching noise, are used properly under UCPD guidelines, especially during the Undie Run each quarter.

Long-Range Acoustic Devices are used by officers to send messages and emit modulating tones to send instructions and force compliance, Garza said.

He said such devices help move along huge crowds and allow for officers to communicate more efficiently. Officers are also trained on how to use the device with caution, he added.

A student also asked how UCPD has changed in response to several protests against police brutality nationwide.

“Just because we have a badge doesn’t mean that we’re going to smack people down. … We want students to say UCPD did a great job,” McBride said.

Students and police also discussed why body cameras are not used by UCPD officers, since the cameras can record instances in which police officers may have violated a suspect’s rights or used excessive force.

Herren told students at the event that a state penal code prohibits UCPD from using body cameras.

He added that even though he thinks body cameras can be useful, he thinks they do not always provide a full perspective of a confrontation between an officer and a suspect.

“There’s a lot of value in them, but its not the end-all, as it only provides one frame of reference,” Herren said.

Negeen Sadeghi-Movahed, USAC transfer student representative, told the officers about an incident in which she felt she was treated unfairly.

She said she had been confronted by a preacher on Bruin Walk who accused her of having a bomb in her backpack. She said officers reluctantly took her home and failed to take action against the preacher.

Officers responded that they need to be cautious to protect themselves and the students around them. They also said they would look into the incident.

“As police officers, we react. Suspects know what they’re going to do, but we don’t,” McBride said. “If I were in that officer’s shoes, I wouldn’t know if this is a trap or not.”

Some students said they think forums with UCPD encourage a better relationship between students and officers.

“I think this is really important because this is a form of transparency and better communication between two groups,” said Ariel Azhdam, a second-year psychobiology student.

Herren said he hopes the event helped strengthen the trust between UCPD and students.

“We need to meet face to face to create a foundation for trust so you won’t hesitate to call us,” Herren said.

Hourdequin said she wants to codify forums with UCPD in the USAC bylaws so the events will be held quarterly.