Demonstration Reviews

UC Davis has pledged open communication and ongoing dialogue regarding the Nov. 18, 2011, events on the Quad, during which campus police arrested and used pepper spray on protesters. This website has been created to inform you about the multiple independent reviews that are being conducted to examine UC Davis and UC systemwide policies and practices, and to identify specific steps for the campus to take to ensure that UC Davis is a safe and vibrant place to live, learn, work and express ideas.

Work continues on a comprehensive campus action plan addressing issues raised in the wake of last November's protests. You can track overall progress here. An overview of all recommendations is available below.

On Nov. 1, 2012, the chancellor invited California's chief justice, two state lawmakers, and an ACLU attorney to join members of the campus community and others on a new committee to evaluate UC Davis' progress on reforms and recommendations following the Nov. 18, 2011, pepper spray incident. Read more.

Reynoso task force report

On Nov. 21, 2011, UC Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi requested that UC President Mark G. Yudof oversee a task force to review the events of Nov. 18, 2011, and develop recommendations. Yudof, in turn, named UC Davis Professor Emeritus Cruz Reynoso, a former associate justice of the California Supreme Court, to chair the task force. The Office of the President retained Kroll Consulting, a company that specializes in investigations, to conduct fact finding in support of the task force’s review. William Bratton, who formerly led the New York, Los Angeles and Boston police departments, is the chair of Kroll.

The task force report became public at noon April 11, and the task force outlined its findings and recommendations at an afternoon forum. Dateline UC Daviscoverage of the report and the forum. Two question-and-answer sessions with members of the task force are planned next week (see box on right).

UC systemwide review

President Yudof separately appointed UC General Counsel Charles Robinson and UC Berkeley School of Law Dean Christopher Edley Jr. to lead a systemwide examination of police protocols and policies as they apply to protests at all 10 UC campuses. This effort will include visits to three campuses – including UC Davis – for discussions with students, faculty and staff, and consultations with an array of experts. A draft of the Robinson and Edley review became public on May 4. It is being posted as a draft to solicit and encourage campus stakeholders and the public to make thoughtful and constructive comments about how its recommendations might be strengthened. The deadline for public commenthas been extended from May 25 to June 8 to encourage additional input.

Research on the health effects of pepper spray

Questions about the health effects of pepper spray arose at a Dec. 14, 2011, state legislative hearing. In response, Yudof tasked John D. Stobo, UC senior vice president of Health Sciences and Services, to assemble a panel of experts to review the related research literature. That report was submitted to Robinson and Edley’s review team (see above) for consideration in its systemwide review of police practices. It was made public as part of the UC systemwide report, as appendix E.

UC Davis Academic Senate review

The Executive Council of the Davis Division of the Academic Senate approved formation of a special committee to investigate, in a thorough and timely manner, the events leading to the use of force on Nov. 18, 2011. The committee’s charge is available online. The Academic Senate review became public on May 2. Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi sent an updated draft action plan on Jan. 18, 2013, to the UC Davis Academic Senate, in response to the recommendations of the Executive Council Special Committee on the November 18th Incident.

Internal affairs investigation

On Nov. 27, 2011, UC Davis Vice Chancellor John Meyer initiated an internal affairs investigation of the Nov. 18, 2011, events on the Quad, when campus police arrested and used pepper spray on protesters. The investigation will inform the campus leadership of the appropriate personnel actions it should take with respect to its police officers. This investigation is led by a team of experienced outside investigators who have unrestricted access to all employees, witnesses, documents, videos, photographs and other evidence. Internal affairs investigation reports are confidential police personnel records. In accordance with California law, the university cannot publicly disclose this report or any actions resulting from its findings.

Questions and answers concerning UC Davis Police Department personnel actions.

Yolo County district attorney review

On Nov. 21, 2011, Chancellor Katehi called on the Yolo County district attorney’s office to investigate the UC Davis Police Department’s use of force. The district attorney’s office agreed to conduct that review in collaboration with the Yolo County Sheriff's Department.