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Calif. university students call for disarming campus police

The student government passed a resolution to disarm police on campus

By Police1 Staff

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — The University of California Santa Barbara student government called for the disarming of campus police last week.

According to Campus Reform, the university’s student government-authored a resolution to provide a framework for “non-police, community-based responses to community wellness issues.”

Students believe officers are “over-policing” on campus, citing police activity during the school’s annual Halloween celebration as an example.

“It should never get to the point where a trained officer has to use their weapon in any sort of capacity to a student,” student senator Ricardo Uribe said. “There are a lot of non-lethal ways that a police officer can make sure that a situation doesn’t escalate.”

The university’s resolution sponsor Ivana Cruz also believes armed officers put students in “perpetual fear and tension,” as well as impact students’ ability to function and their mental health.

In 2014, 22-year-old Elliot Rodger killed six people and injured fourteen others in a mass shooting near the UCSB campus.

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