UC President Dr. Michael Drake
Email address for President Drake:
michael.drake@ucop.edu
Remember to make some changes & put this in your own voice! Also be sure to add your name at the end before sending.
Subject: If a fence is good enough to keep you safe, it’s good enough for our students, too
Dear President Drake,
I am writing to you as a concerned parent of a student at UC Berkeley, and I am deeply troubled by the recent incidents of violent crime that have taken place around the campus. I am aware of the statements you have made about all members of the UC community needing to feel safe, and I believe that more needs to be done to ensure the safety of UC Berkeley students.
It is alarming to hear about students being robbed, assaulted, and held up at gunpoint in and around the UC Berkeley campus. As a parent, I am particularly concerned about the safety of students who live in the South Side Units, where dangerous intruders have entered multiple times. These students are living in fear and it is imperative that UC Berkeley takes action to ensure their safety.
I urge UC Berkeley to build a protective fence around the South Side Units to prevent dangerous intruders from entering the dorms. If a fence is good enough to protect you and your family, it is good enough for our students who are living in fear of more dangerous intruders entering their residence halls.
I am disappointed in Chancellor Carol Christ's inaction in the face of mounting violent crime around campus. Parents are no longer willing to accept excuses and delays in implementing measures that would increase student safety. That is why hundreds of Cal parents have formed a new advocacy group called SafeBears to highlight the need for better safety at Cal.
There are a number of practical measures Chancellor Christ can take to improve safety at Cal: filling the massive vacancies at UCPD, stationing Security Monitors at each dorm after dark, getting all 3 night safety shuttles back in service, offering free or discounted Lyft rides to students after dark, and more. You can find these and other measures on our website, safebears.org.
As UC President, it is your responsibility to ensure that all UC students are safe from physical and psychological harm. We are going to continue raising our voices at UC Regents meetings to ensure that UC Berkeley takes the necessary steps to improve student safety.
I urge you to take immediate action to address the concerns of parents and students.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]