UC Berkeley Web Feature
A message to the UC Berkeley community from Chancellor Robert Birgeneau
BERKELEY – Many of you may be aware of a disturbing situation yesterday afternoon that involved a fatal shooting on the southside, near our campus. The victim and suspect are not affiliated with UC Berkeley, but the incident was an unfortunate reminder that we, as a campus community, are not immune from senseless violence around us.
I am deeply concerned about recent street crime that has taken place near campus. We are committed to doing all that we can to provide a safe environment for UC Berkeley students, staff, faculty, neighbors, and visitors. The violent incidents that have occurred in recent weeks, while completely unrelated, are absolutely unacceptable in our community, or anywhere.
Yesterday, I spoke with Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates to explore additional steps that can be taken to deter violent crime. We are fortunate to have dedicated and effective campus and city police departments that serve our campus community exceptionally well. We are continuing to work with the city of Berkeley to strengthen partnerships to address crime in the vicinity of campus.
On the Berkeley campus, we are taking the following immediate actions to target street crime. We will:
- Increase police visibility on and around the campus, particularly on the southside.
- Increase police presence in People's Park to deter crimes that take place there.
- Continue to improve nighttime lighting campuswide.
- Ensure that students and employees are aware of campus programs that address personal safety, including launching a new "at-a-glance" online guide to these resources.
Further, we are finalizing efforts to implement a comprehensive emergency early-warning email, cell phone, and text messaging system for the fall semester. In an emergency, the system can immediately alert all students and employees who provide contact information.
I urge you to be vigilant and to take advantage of the campus information and safety programs available to you, especially the nighttime safety escorts and shuttles. The new, at-a-glance listing of all emergency and safety resources includes links to police safety information and counseling services for students, faculty, and staff through University Health Services.
Yours sincerely,
Robert J. Birgeneau
Chancellor