Animal rights extremism at UC Santa Cruz
Dear colleagues,
Last weekend, fires were set at the homes of two of our fellow researchers at UC Santa Cruz, apparently by "animal rights" extremists. In one case, the family had to flee the house from an upper floor by a fire ladder; in the other, a vehicle parked in the driveway was destroyed. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries.
These attacks follow a series of recent incidents at UC Santa Cruz, UCLA and UC Berkeley, including attempted fire bombings and home invasions, vandalism, menacing phone calls and the distribution of threatening fliers.
We unequivocally condemn these violent, criminal acts and agree with UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal that these are attacks not just on individuals, but on the principles of free inquiry by which we live.
The attacks at UC Santa Cruz are being investigated by the FBI as domestic terrorism. At both the campus and the systemwide levels, the University of California is taking action to protect and support researchers, prosecute the perpetrators and reduce the potential impact of such acts.
We are committed to ensuring that you, as researchers, can carry out your work - and your everyday lives - in a safe and secure manner. A range of resources are available to UC Davis researchers to enhance your security both at home and at work.
- Home safety tips. A one-page document with some simple safety tips in the event of a criminal act at your home is available through Safety Services. See http://safetyservices.ucdavis.edu/iacuc/related-links/other-sites-and-resources.
- Prevention training. The UC Davis Police Department offers advice and training on crime prevention, safety and security. A manual on researcher safety is available through the police department's web site, and the department conducts training on researcher safety. For more information see http://police.ucdavis.edu, or call Lt. Matt Carmichael at (530) 752-5350.
- Personal security survey. On request, campus police will review security arrangements both at laboratories and at researchers' homes. When necessary to ensure safety, the campus can and will take measures to increase security. The university will meet the costs of any security enhancements required to meet potential threats from law-breaking activists.
- Incident response. Our campus police work closely with other local, state and federal agencies to monitor activist threats and coordinate any response to incidents.
- Communication training. Animal rights activists hope to gain publicity for their cause and effective communication is therefore a vital element of the university's planning. The UC Davis News Service manages any contact with outside media about animal research and can consult with units and individual researchers on communications planning and strategy. For more information, see http://www.news.ucdavis.edu or call (530) 752-1930.
Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef recently established a campus Task Force on Protecting Faculty Research and Researchers. The task force will review our procedures and protocols for anticipating, preventing and responding to acts against UC Davis researchers and make recommendations for changes by October 1.
At the statewide level, the University of California is taking a number of steps to counter extremist threats.
- University legal counsel and police departments are developing legal strategies to prosecute or sue those who carry out harassment or violence against researchers.
- The university is considering how to limit the information provided to activists in response to public records requests, while meeting the requirements of state and federal law.
- The university is supporting a proposed state law, AB 2296, currently pending before the Senate, that would restrict the ability of animal rights groups to post personal information about researchers on the internet.
- The Office of Risk Services at the UC Office of the President will accept insurance claims against university policies in the event of damage to researchers' homes or property by activists.
We urge all faculty, students and staff to be vigilant and aware of your surroundings. Please report any suspicious activity to the police. If you have any questions or queries, please direct them to our offices, to the UC Davis Police Department (530-752-1727) or to the UC Davis News Service (530-752-1930), as appropriate.
Yours sincerely,
Barbara Horwitz
Interim Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor
Barry Klein
Vice Chancellor--Research
Stan Nosek
Vice Chancellor--Administration