The systemwide Academic Council reviewed a policy guide for UCPD known as the "Gold Book" and proposed changes.* As part of the process, comments were solicited from campus Senates and two systemwide committees. As might be expected, a summarizing of the resulting comments ends up as a shopping list of concerns - a kind of data dump of 144(!) pages - along with a statement that some people had "no objection" to what was proposed. However, the Council did make some specific recommendations. Below, yours truly has distilled the recommendations that are explicitly attributed to the Council.
The full letter from the Council chair with attached documents can be found at:
As requested, I distributed for systemwide Academic Senate review the proposed revisions to Systemwide Policies Applying to the University of California Police Department, commonly known as the “Gold Book.” Nine Senate divisions and two systemwide Senate committees (UCODE and UCFW) submitted comments. These were discussed at the Academic Council’s July 22, 2026 meeting, and the compiled feedback is attached for your reference. The responses reflected a range of views. Some reviewers expressed no objection or found the revisions generally appropriate, while others recommended substantial revisions before the policies are finalized. After considering the comments, the Academic Council identified several overarching concerns and recommendations, summarized below.
Review Materials and Consultation Process
Many reviewers found the materials difficult to evaluate because it was not always clear which policies were new, which had been substantially revised, and which included only technical or legally required updates. The Academic Council recommends that future reviews include an executive summary identifying new policies, major substantive revisions, and technical or legally required changes, along with an explanation of the reasons for significant revisions...
Distinctive Nature of Policing in a University Environment
The Council believes that policies governing UCPD should be tailored to the mission and setting of a public university rather than relying primarily on language designed for municipal law enforcement agencies. The Council recommends that the Gold Book affirm UCPD’s role in helping the University respect and protect academic freedom, civil liberties, and expressive activity and place greater emphasis on community engagement and relationship-building...
De-escalation and Use of Force
...The Council recommends making de-escalation and the least intrusive reasonable means the default whenever circumstances permit, with force used only when necessary...
Expressive Activity and Academic Freedom
...The Council recommends clearer standards for distinguishing protected conduct and peaceful noncompliance from behavior that presents an imminent safety threat...
Governance, Oversight, and Transparency
The Council recommends stronger independent and community-based oversight of UCPD, with meaningful participation by UC faculty, students, staff, and other campus constituents...
Surveillance, Privacy, and Information Collection
(Various concerns are attributed to "several reviewers," but it is unclear from the text whether the Council had specific recommendations.)
Equity, Disability, and Mental Health Response
The Council recommends greater attention to implicit and explicit bias, discrimination, cultural awareness, disability, neurodiversity, and mental health crises...
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*A 2010 edition of the Gold Book can be found at:
https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000382/PoliceProceduresManual. The Council apparently saw a later version with proposed changes. It is unclear exactly what the Council was given.
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