If San Francisco can get it together, so can Cal

San Francisco’s rapid makeover ahead of APEC conference has lessons for Cal

In the days leading up to this week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference (November 11-17, 2023), San Francisco went on a wide ranging improvement spree – deploying police to close an open air fentanyl market, adding 300 beds to its shelter system, and beautifying neglected streets with repaved surfaces, freshly painted murals and even a new skatepark and outdoor cafe. The city’s lightning fast makeover – in anticipation of hosting world leaders among an expected 30,000 visitors – made both local and national news, with a New York Times article perhaps taking the prize for the catchiest lead sentence:

“San Francisco had the air this week of teenagers frantically cleaning up after a house party with their parents on the way home.” 

Joking aside, “some residents have wondered why San Francisco has been able to fix its notorious problems for [President Biden], but not for them,” the Times wrote, echoing a widely shared sentiment. Some areas of San Francisco are thriving, of course, and opinions vary on long term solutions to the post pandemic challenges of this world class city. But the quick deployment of massive resources to impress visiting dignitaries reveals an undeniable and uncomfortable truth: 

The money and manpower to make struggling neighborhoods safer and more livable were there all along. What was lacking, apparently, was any sense of urgency among city leaders to deliver those results for ordinary people day to day.

A similar uncomfortable truth exists across the Bay at UC Berkeley, the world’s top public university – where our Bears are in many ways thriving, yet are exposed to levels of crime among the highest of any American university. 

Just as San Francisco is capable of improving public safety almost overnight, we know Cal is able to increase dramatically the visible security presence on and near campus when it so chooses – such as the California Highway Patrol officers at Memorial Stadium during football games or the private security personnel who assist UCPD at Regents meetings and student demonstrations and who briefly patrolled Southside after the fatal shooting near Unit 3 during the fall ‘22 semester. 

But despite a 29% increase in robberies in 2023 and recent gunfire half a mile from campus, UC Berkeley has failed to bring in enough security personnel to keep students safe on a daily basis. In the Nov 6, 2023, WarnMe Community Advisory acknowledging community concern about “recent incidents,” the administration could only weakly promise that UCPD has added high visibility patrols “as staffing allows.” That’s hardly reassuring, given that UCPD simply does not have enough cops, with only 46 sworn officers compared to 80 a decade ago. 

Cal has the money – its Light the Way campaign raised over $7 billion, $1 billion more than expected. What Cal does not seem to have is the leadership or the institutional will to prioritize student safety and expedite solutions. 

Residence hall security is another area where good intentions continue to be thwarted by bureaucratic red tape. Campus administration has pledged to expand the service hours for the Residential Safety Ambassadors who staff some dorm lobbies at night – but has only just now, 12 weeks into the academic year, onboarded enough RSAs to staff the current nighttime coverage. The fencing of Southside Units has been delayed by permitting and procurement issues. Meanwhile, dormitory trespassing continues apace, with at least five instances this semester where intruders reached upper floors, as well as other alarming incidents in Unit courtyards and on the Clark Kerr Campus. While large projects can of course face roadblocks, it’s still fair to ask: 

Why does community safety at Cal fail to inspire the creative problem solving that characterizes the university’s academic excellence?

Other UC campuses are stepping up to improve student safety, giving the lie to the view that progress at a snail’s pace is “just the way it is” at large public universities. 

At UC Davis, which has a similar student population to Cal (38K vs. 43K), Chancellor Gary S. May has shown admirable leadership, committing his team last spring to enhancing campus safety and recently announcing as a first step the allocation of $20 million for security infrastructure such as lighting and cameras. In another example, UC Irvine (36K students) has launched a pilot program of public safety responders who will handle noncriminal calls for service, thus freeing up sworn police officers to handle more serious matters. Meanwhile, at UC Berkeley, an equivalent program is stalled at the planning stage, three years after the UC system instructed campuses to prioritize tiered policing.  

UC Berkeley’s East Bay location should not be an excuse for a lack of safety, but rather a call to action. While it’s true that some community conditions are outside of Cal’s control, there’s a lot that UC Berkeley does control:

• UC Berkeley does have the authority to bring in outside security personnel. 

• UC Berkeley could fund and fast track robust security at residence halls. 

• UC Berkeley leadership at the highest levels could announce and implement an “all hands on deck” response to the public safety crisis. 

The way towards a safer education for our Bears is possible.

Does UC Berkeley have the will to do it?