Start your day with LAist
Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays.
Private colleges in California want more power to rein in trespassing on their campuses, particularly when people repeatedly enter to harass students.
Willful trespassing on the campuses of Californias K-12 schools and public universities is considered a misdemeanor, and can result in jail time. But private colleges can only hand out warning letters.
The issue is at the center of a bill that is one chamber away from reaching Gov. Gavin Newsoms desk. Private colleges say that the current policy hampers their ability to protect students but some students worry that the proposed changes could make campuses feel cut off from surrounding neighborhoods and lead to racial profiling.
The no-trespassing letters are ineffective because there isnt a clear consequence for violating them, say the bills supporters, which include policing associations and the 86-member Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities.
During the pandemic, the association has heard instances of people entering campuses to make racist comments toward Asian American and Pacific Islander students. The association has also heard of people coming on campuses to sexually harass female students, said Alex Graves, the associations vice president for government relations.
Still, the bill highlights a complicated dynamic.
Many private college campuses in California are open spaces, including the Claremont Colleges and Santa Clara University, which support the bill. Community members pass through often to walk their dogs or relax on the manicured lawns.
The open nature of campuses makes reining in trespassing a very difficult line to walk, said Jessica Ramey Stender, policy director and deputy legal director of Equal Rights Advocates, a gender-justice nonprofit.
I think it shows the difficult position that universities are in, in trying to ensure that they keep their students safe, she said.
Heres what you should know about Senate Bill 748.
The bill would rework a section of the states criminal code that right now only applies to public colleges or universities and public and private K-12 schools.
For those schools, the law says that its a misdemeanor for a person to willfully and knowingly enter a campus after having been banned. A person can be barred for disrupting a campus or facilitys orderly operation, according to the law.
John Ojeisekhoba, president-elect of campus-policing association
The bill would expand the provision to include private colleges and universities. Punishment for a violation is either a fine of no more than $500 or imprisonment in county jail for no longer than six months, or both.
Authored by Sen. Anthony Portantino, a San Fernando Valley Democrat, the bill passed the state Senate 34-0 in January and is scheduled to be heard by the Assembly Public Safety Committee on Wednesday.
Lets use the University of San Diego as an example.
The university supports the bill. And, it has the kind of idyllic campus that the general public regularly visits: 180 acres overlooking San Diego, Mission Bay, and the Pacific Ocean.
Its fairly common for the universitys police force to be summoned to disturbances involving people who have entered campus, said James Miyashiro, assistant vice president of safety.
A recent example involved a homeless man. He had barricaded himself in a campus bathroom, wouldnt come out, and threatened to return again after police told him to leave, said Miyashiro, who watched footage from an officers body camera.
Altercations with students also occur. People come to campus to play sports and get in fights with students who have the space reserved. Or, people will make comments that offend students, who then report them to the police, Miyashiro said.
When campus police get such a report, they will ask the person to leave campus. If they continue to come back, officers will give them a letter barring them from campus.
But that doesnt have a lot of teeth behind it, Miyashiro said. And, city police are reluctant to respond to trespassing issues on campus, particularly during hours when the buildings are open, he said.
Miyashiro contrasted the dynamic with his experience at two public universities where he previously worked: the University of California, Los Angeles and Riverside Community College District. There, campus police could tell a person causing a disturbance that if they returned within seven days, they could be arrested.
Several city police associations back the bill, including the Riverside Sheriffs Association and the Santa Ana Police Officers Association.
Equal Rights Advocates also decided to support the measure, Stender said, based on what it has heard from students who are victims of sexual assault or harassment. Sometimes, the attacker will return to campus to continue harassing or even assault them again, she said.
The consequence of a misdemeanor charge brings clarity, said John Ojeisekhoba, the president-elect of a campus-policing association that supports the bill.
It will give an officer a significant level of deterrence. That will be the difference. Right now, theres just no such thing, he said.
Several students said they are concerned about this outcome.
Alessia Milstein, who graduated this spring from Pitzer College, said there should be other options for how people get help instead of defaulting to calling the police. Milstein was involved in the Claremont Colleges Prison Abolition Collective, a club that educates students about prison and police abolition.
Alessia Milstein graduated this spring from Pitzer College, in Claremont. She was involved in abolition activism on campus. May 25, 2022.
(Raquel Natalicchio
/
CalMatters)
Its also important to remember that everyone is subject to having racial biases and relying on police to decide who belongs on campus is allowing those to run freely, she said.
I just feel like its kind of the epitome, again, of why police dont work, Milstein said. Youre trying to solve every conflict with a catchall that is rooted in colonialism and white supremacy.
There are more negatives than positives with the bill, said Tess Gibbs, a rising senior at Scripps College, who is also part of the collective.
Specifically, Gibbs said she worries the bill could make campus into a sort of fortress, cut off from the surrounding community.
I just question how much this would actually significantly increase safety of students, which seems to be its intention, Gibbs said.
A movement to reduce police presence on California campuses has grown over the last several years, following a nationwide reckoning over the scope of police power.
At the University of California and California State University, some students have called for abolishing or increasing oversight of campus police departments, particularly because of concerns over aggressive policing of protests and racial profiling.
And, racism regularly leads to people of color being deemed suspicious. One such incident that garnered national attention: In 2018, a white student at Yale University called campus police after seeing a black student asleep in the dorm common room. Several police officers responded to the incident.
We have to make sure its applied in a way that makes sense, Portantino said of the bill.
When asked via email about concerns that the bill could lead to racial profiling or harassment of homeless people, he said that the measure isnt meant to be used for anything other than fostering prudent student and campus safety.
Several campus safety officials interviewed said they intended to use the bills power just as needed, rather than overdo it. Of course, thats easier said than done.
Ojeisekhoba, of the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators, acknowledged that mistakes can happen. Still, he said he has seen a shift in how campus police respond to reports of suspicious behavior. As an example, he pointed to the private university where he is chief of police, Biola University in La Mirada.
Instead of immediately sending an officer to the scene after getting a call about suspicious behavior, dispatchers are trained to ask more questions in the hopes of figuring out if there is actually an issue. The approach is meant to reduce potential mistakes or the appearance of racial profiling, he said.
Tess Gibbs, a Scripps College student
Stan Skipworth, associate vice president of campus safety at the Claremont Colleges, also said in an email that jail time isnt necessary in all instances of trespassing just the most egregious cases.
Instead of relying on police, students should learn to count on community members when problems arise, said Alaia Zaki, a rising senior at the University of San Francisco. Zaki is part of the universitys chapter of Alliance for Change, an organization that helps people transition from prison and re-enter communities.
Zaki highlighted pod-mapping as potential inspiration. The approach has been championed by the Bay Area Transformative Justice Collective, an Oakland-based group.
Pods are meant to be a way to deal with small harms by relying on a group of trusted friends or neighbors. For example, instead of calling the police, a person could reach out to their pod.
To have a relationship founded on community would be kind of a game-changer because you would have people that you know, and hopefully respect and trust, coming to de-escalate your situations, Zaki said.
Lingappa is a fellow with theCalMatters College Journalism Network, a collaboration between CalMatters and student journalists from across California. This story and other higher education coverage are supported by the College Futures Foundation.
What questions do you have about Southern California?
More:
Private Colleges Want More Power To Police Trespassers. Here's What You Need To Know - LAist
- Student-Led Working Group to Abolish GUPD Calls for Greater Community Involvement - Georgetown University The Hoya - April 10th, 2024 [April 10th, 2024]
- Nobel Peace Prize - Wikipedia - January 10th, 2023 [January 10th, 2023]
- Albanese government neuters ABCC ahead of abolition - The Australian Financial Review - October 28th, 2022 [October 28th, 2022]
- 3 Good Reasons You Should Learn More About Angela Davis - Because of Them We Can - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Eradication of forced labor -- striking example of political will - The Korea Herald - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Intrusion impending: what contractors need to know about proposed abolition of the ABCC - Lexology - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- What Does It Mean To 'Abolish the Family'? - ArtReview - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- UN experts call for complete abolition of death penalty as 'only viable path' - UN News - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Opinion | Social justice work must continue - UI The Daily Iowan - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Rank-and-file action committees independent of IG Metall union needed to defend all jobs at all sites - WSWS - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Japan plans to abolish health insurance cards in fall 2024 | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis - - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Are you buying the copaganda? - mlk50.com - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- 'Crown Jewel of Criminal Justice System': Voters In Five States Will Address Legal Loophole That Still Allows Slavery - Atlanta Black Star - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- TUPD aims to connect with Tufts community over coffee - Tufts Daily - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Ex-condemned prisoner relives 11-year wait for hangmans noose - The Herald - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- The Ongoing Fight Against Femicides and Violence Against Women in the Caribbean - Rolling Stone - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- At Tate Britain, Hew Locke Powerfully Reckons with Colonialist Histories and Their Lingering Aftereffects - ARTnews - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Presentation of the Annual Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights - World - ReliefWeb - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Sanitation staff on strike over salary delay in Delhi - The New Indian Express - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Human Rights Watch Submission to the Universal Periodic Review of Burundi - Human Rights Watch - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- UN experts warn of associated torture and cruel punishment - OHCHR - October 11th, 2022 [October 11th, 2022]
- How Lead Belly twice won freedom from prison through his music - Far Out Magazine - October 11th, 2022 [October 11th, 2022]
- Why don't Popes ever win the Nobel Peace Prize? - Crux Now - October 11th, 2022 [October 11th, 2022]
- Hunting: Where the end began - Reaction - October 11th, 2022 [October 11th, 2022]
- Greece is committed to reforming its mass media and protecting personal data - Hellenic News of America - October 11th, 2022 [October 11th, 2022]
- Standing against war and nuclear catastrophe: lessons from Port Kembla - Red Flag - October 11th, 2022 [October 11th, 2022]
- Liz Truss warned tax cuts like hers could lead to 'boom and bust' in unearthed 2018 clip - The Mirror - October 11th, 2022 [October 11th, 2022]
- Opinion | The Puppets and the Puppet Masters - Common Dreams - October 11th, 2022 [October 11th, 2022]
- Intersecting Drug Policy and Abolition: A Conversation - TalkingDrugs - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- Rival parties to lock horns over Gender Ministry in government organization reform plan - The Korea Herald - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- Reforms, roll-outs and freezes in the tax and benefit system | Institute for Fiscal Studies - ifs.org.uk - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- Kwasi Kwarteng to bring forward planned fiscal statement in another U-turn as it happened - The Guardian - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- IR35 reforms repeal: How it stands to benefit the tech sectors SMEs and contractors - ComputerWeekly.com - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- The Future of Truth - Portsmouth Daily Times - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- Governor Hochul Names Canal Corporation Vessel in Honor of the Inspirational Life and Legacy of Harriet Tubman - ny.gov - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- Tory MPs hit back after threats issued to those opposing 45p tax rate abolition - The Guardian - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- John Hood: Don't That Just Beat All? Neuse News - Neuse News - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- Scrapping inheritance tax is a terrible idea - The Spectator - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- Reeves: Government instincts in mini-Budget were to cut taxes for wealthiest - LabourList - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- The Biggest Exhibitions To See In London And Beyond: Autumn 2022 - Londonist - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- Actually, Black Mermaid Folklore Has Been Around Long Before Disneys The Little Mermaid - Yahoo Life - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- Build solidarity with rail workers fight! Help strengthen, expand the labor movement! The Militant - The Militant - September 14th, 2022 [September 14th, 2022]
- The Most Absolute Abolitionnew book explores abolition and lives of escaped slaves - Socialist Worker - September 14th, 2022 [September 14th, 2022]
- Democracy Cant Be Reduced to Voting in 2022 We Must Build the Future We Want - Truthout - September 14th, 2022 [September 14th, 2022]
- Christophe Ferrari denounces the announced abolition of the CVAE - US Sports - US Sports - - September 14th, 2022 [September 14th, 2022]
- Child labour: Nashik tribals struggle to survive, give kids to goatherds for Rs 10K - The New Indian Express - September 14th, 2022 [September 14th, 2022]
- Library Takeover Returns: Submit Your Application! | City of Madison - City of Madison, Wisconsin - September 14th, 2022 [September 14th, 2022]
- Do Britain and the world really need a king? - People's World - September 14th, 2022 [September 14th, 2022]
- Soka Gakkai International's Nuclear Abolition Work - Tricycle - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Clinton nonprofit funneled $75,000 to 'defund the police' group: report - New York Post - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Cops and Prosecutors Truly Work the Same Side: Ingrid Raphal and Melissa Gira Grant on their FOV Doc They Wont Call It Murder - Filmmaker Magazine - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- The Iran Man Behind the Nuclear Curtain Jewish Policy Center - Jewish Policy Center - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Dorothy Roberts Tried to Warn Us - New York Magazine - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Hear Me Now: The Black Potters Of Old Edgefield, South Carolina - Antiques And The Arts Weekly - Antiques and the Arts Online - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- The Spin | Zimbabwe's upset win should spur England to be good global citizens - The Guardian - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Letter of the week: The Proms deserve better - The New Statesman - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Why We Should Abolish the Family Current Affairs - Current Affairs - September 6th, 2022 [September 6th, 2022]
- On the Need for Honest Abolitionists. | Jeff Hood - Patheos - September 6th, 2022 [September 6th, 2022]
- Chile rejects a progressive constitution with big changes - NPR - September 6th, 2022 [September 6th, 2022]
- Where Solidarity, Abolition, and Queer History Meet - The Nation - September 6th, 2022 [September 6th, 2022]
- Addressing the sugar crisis long term - Manila Bulletin - September 6th, 2022 [September 6th, 2022]
- Experts react: The United Kingdom has a new prime minister. What should the world expect from Liz Truss? - Atlantic Council - September 6th, 2022 [September 6th, 2022]
- Explained Books | An eminent cardiac surgeon's account of his work, and of Kashmir - The Indian Express - September 6th, 2022 [September 6th, 2022]
- Formerly incarcerated women of color face worse health in later life | OUPblog - OUPblog - September 6th, 2022 [September 6th, 2022]
- The crime against humanity that is the modern OS desktop, and how to kill it - The Register - September 6th, 2022 [September 6th, 2022]
- Kenya: William Ruto's triumph, By Reuben Abati - Premium Times - September 6th, 2022 [September 6th, 2022]
- What shall we do with the climate refugees? - Trinidad & Tobago Express Newspapers - September 6th, 2022 [September 6th, 2022]
- Digitisation of records, land reforms turn 'Naya J&K' hi-tech - Rising Kashmir - September 6th, 2022 [September 6th, 2022]
- What year was slavery abolished in the US? - Fox News - August 25th, 2022 [August 25th, 2022]
- The United Nations Human Rights Council met for its 50th Regular Session from June 13 to July 8, 2022. - WCADP - World Coalition Against the Death... - August 25th, 2022 [August 25th, 2022]
- Special Tax Regimes for Mobile Individuals and Their Impact on the EU's Single Market - Bloomberg Tax - August 25th, 2022 [August 25th, 2022]
- Undergraduate Summer Research Highlights - Newsroom | University of St. Thomas - University of St. Thomas Newsroom - August 25th, 2022 [August 25th, 2022]
- A safe and healthy working environment is now a human right - Workplace Insight - August 25th, 2022 [August 25th, 2022]
- Haryana dismisses alleged abolition of teachers post as baseless - The Statesman - August 25th, 2022 [August 25th, 2022]
- New book explores wicked problems facing peace studies scholars and practitioners // Department of Political Science // University of Notre Dame -... - August 25th, 2022 [August 25th, 2022]
- Universities Are Plundering Cities. How Can This Relationship Change? - Truthout - August 25th, 2022 [August 25th, 2022]
- Edinburgh should apologise for role in slavery and colonialism, says academic - STV News - August 25th, 2022 [August 25th, 2022]
- The inside story of the CIA v Russia from cold war conspiracy to 'black' propaganda in Ukraine - The Conversation Indonesia - August 25th, 2022 [August 25th, 2022]
- Radical gender theory has now made its way into more than 4,000 US schools - Home - WSFX - August 25th, 2022 [August 25th, 2022]
- Infanticide: Excitement as 5-year-old reunites with family in FCT - Blueprint Newspapers Limited - August 25th, 2022 [August 25th, 2022]