This post was updated Sept. 17 at 8:26 p.m.
The UC Board of Regents approved the UCLA police department’s request for less-than-lethal munition launchers and sponge rounds at a Wednesday meeting.
The Regents must approve an annual UCPD military equipment report under California Assembly Bill 481. The Regents discussed the equipment at their September meeting Tuesday to Wednesday at UC San Francisco.
UCPD has cracked down on pro-Palestine protests opposing Israel’s military offensive in Gaza – which has killed over 60,000 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry – and came in response to Palestinian political party and militant group Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel.
UCPD and police agencies from across Los Angeles swept an encampment set up by pro-Palestine protesters in Dickson Plaza using flash bangs, batons and less-than-lethal weapons May 2, 2024, arresting over 200 protesters. UCPD officers also wore riot gear and equipped themselves with less-than-lethal weapons when dispersing campus protests following the encampment.
UCLA’s police department spent over $8,000 on less-than-lethal munition launchers and powder projectiles in the 2024-2025 fiscal year, a UC Office of the President spokesperson said in an emailed statement. A UC Council of Chiefs of Police report attached to the Regents’ agenda item had erroneously said the purchases were made in the 2025-2026 fiscal year.
UCLA is one of five UCs requesting new military equipment. UCLA – alongside UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz and UC San Francisco – are developing a systemwide contract for drone purchasing.
UC San Diego requested two drones and 5,000 rounds of ammunition. UC Irvine requested an additional LRAD for its campus. It also requested several types of ammunition including projectiles and marking rounds.
UCLA will also give its sole FN Herstal 303 launcher – a semi-automatic less-lethal riot gun – to UC Riverside.
The Regents, with assistance from UCPD, must conduct a yearly review of the necessity, cost-effectiveness and prior action taken with the military equipment to see if it has been used properly to comply with AB 481. If the equipment is found to not have been used in accordance with military equipment use policy, corrective action must have been taken to comply with the policy, per AB 481.
The UC Council of Chiefs of Police provided the Regents with an annual report that included the usage, complaints, audits, costs, quantity and requests for new or transferred equipment. Once the report is submitted to the Regents, the board must choose whether to vote “to renew the ordinance” in an open meeting.
Within 30 days of the report’s submission, UCPD must hold a “well-publicized and conveniently located community engagement meeting” to discuss the military equipment.
Two hundred and forty powder projectiles were employed at UCLA “during an incident involving an aggressive crowd,” according to the UC Council of Chiefs of Police report. None of the projectiles were aimed at people, according to the report.
Additionally, long range acoustic devices – which amplify sound – were used about 71 times and one sponge round was used “during an arrest when a suspect put their hand near a police officer’s firearm,” according to the report.
According to the report, UCLA’s division of UCPD received three complaints about the use of military equipment but was not the agency that deployed the equipment.
Contributing reports by Alexandra Crosnoe, News editor.
