In 2003, the former Operations Division was reorganized to improve effective operations. The Investigation Section and Crime Prevention unit were merged to form the Investigation and Prevention Services Section of the Field Services Division. Additionally, the Operations Support Unit was created to coordinate equipment, facilities, and other operations support services.

In July 2003, the UCSF Police Department Joined the U.S. Marshall’s Fugitive Apprehension Strike Task Force (FAST). The mission of FAST is to investigate and apprehend violent fugitives sought by Municipal, County, State and Federal Agencies.

The UCSF Police Department increased detective staffing to better address the growing caseload resulting from UCSF expansion and increased crime reporting.

In October of 2003, the UCSF Police Department presented the second annual UCSF Public Safety Fair in celebration of National Crime Prevention Month. Approximately 500 people attended and learned about crime prevention and emergency preparedness from UCSF Police, Hospital Security, American Red Cross, Cyber Security, UCSF Center for Gender Equity, Environmental Health and Safety, Emergency Preparedness personnel. The Police Department gave away Mc Gruff coloring books, Child I.D. kits and Police Coffee mugs. Mc Gruff himself showed up at noon for individual photo opportunities with 200 of his fans.

Throughout the year, Investigation and Prevention Services Section has participated extensively in personal safety presentations at UCSF departments. Investigation and Prevention Services Section also provided information at the New Student Fair, the Health & Wellness Fair, Information Security Fair, UCSF Diversity Fair, and the Public Safety Fair. During the presentations and especially at the fairs, the 9-911 whistles were the most asked for items. Over 1,100 whistles, along with an assortment of personal safety/crime prevention information, was handed out at these events.

Staff participated in key committees to ensure that safety and security measures were included in the development of the Mission Bay Campus. Of particular concern has been the well-organized opening of Genentech Hall (January 2003), followed by the development of Koret Quad, an open green space in the center of the Mission Bay site.

Investigation and Prevention Services Section completed an assessment of several sites that could be at risk to bio-terrorism. The report recommended specific mitigation measures necessary to Investigation and Prevention Services Section and continues to be a resource to designated committees and groups tasked by the University to focus their attention on bio-terrorism.

During 2003, the UCSF Police Department changed the patrol vehicle fleet color scheme to Black and White. The change was positively received by the officers and the campus community as well.

Why the change? UCSF police officers provide service to University facilities throughout the City and County of San Francisco, and facilities in San Mateo County. Among the Police Department’s challenges are providing a visible police presence at our primary university facilities. The two-toned vehicle catches the eye of an on-looker - increasing the crime prevention and suppression value of police presence and patrol. The new look is also more readily recognizable as a police vehicle which assists customers in finding a police officer for assistance when needed.

A new temporary sub-station was established to support police operations and serve the developing Mission Bay campus. The temporary station will be replaced with newly constructed facilities next year.

Most of the Police Department forms and reports were automated during the year. This enables documents to be completed more efficiently and minimizes the need for hard paper copies. The goal is to automate as much as possible in order to standardize and accomplish work in a more streamlined fashion.

During the Winter Holiday Season the UCSF Police Department participated in the “Avoid the 14” program to reduce the number of alcohol related traffic incidents in the San Francisco City and County. UCSF police officers participated in educational programs and DUI check points along with 13 other law enforcement agencies in the City and County of San Francisco.

In 2003, the Police Department facilities in the Mission Center Building were completely remodeled. The remodel included additional security features for the facility such as electronic access control, new lockers and facilities for the patrol staff and upgraded administrative office space.

The UCSF Police Department was awarded three grants totaling $518,569 from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Policing Programs for hiring of six new officers and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for infrastructure protection and first responder emergency equipment.

The Emergency Communications Center (ECC) continues its role in providing excellent customer service to the campus community.

A fully funded plan to move the existing Communications Center from the Parnassus Campus to the police administration headquarters in the Mission Center Building was initiated in 2003. The current facility and plant equipment are outdated. The new center will include a state-of-the-art telephony and radio system and motorized ergonomic communications furniture. The telephone/radio positions are being increased from two to three to accommodate current and future expansion. Unlike the current communications center that houses both communications and patrol personnel, the new center will house communications personnel only. The new center is expected to open in June 2004.

The Emergency Communications Center played an integral role in a campus-wide overall wireless communications assessment in 2003. The goal of the assessment was to identify alternatives to address the wireless communications needs of the University. The campus is planning to apply for the 700 MHz frequency allocation when they become available from the Federal Communications Commission.

The UCSF Police Department continued to maintain compliance with the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (C.A.L.E.A.) standards. Quarterly reviews and updates were conducted on approximately 350 standards to ensure the department operated at the highest professional quality level. The department is scheduled to participate in an evaluation for re-accreditation in December 2004 and is updating all its policies and procedures.

Recruitment was a major issue for the UCSF Police Department in 2003. During the year, all nine additional positions allocated for the Mission Bay campus were filled. However, one position was eventually vacated. The department continued to evaluate numerous entry-level and lateral candidates. In addition to the nine positions, six more police officer positions were allocated for fiscal year 2003-04 and recruitment efforts began in order to appoint new officers by July 2004. The future staffing will enable 24 hours- a-day, 7 days-a-week police service at the Mission Bay campus.

Bio-terrorism planning was the primary focus of the Campus Emergency Preparedness Program in 2003. The Chancellor’s Steering Committee on Nuclear, Biological, Chemical and Cyber Terrorism continued to assess the campus’s ability to respond to a variety of potential threats, and to institute recommendations for improving the safety of the Campus. Campus and Medical Center committees were created to address mitigation vulnerabilities, and identify opportunities for joint emergency planning and resource sharing. A UCSF Terrorism Website was launched to provide biological, nuclear, chemical, and cyber terrorism information for the UCSF community.

Another focus of the Emergency Preparedness Program this past year was on fire safety and evacuation preparedness and training. Coordination between the Emergency Preparedness Coordinator and the Campus Fire Marshal resulted in the completion of 26 building emergency evacuation exercises. A new high-rise building evacuation procedure was implemented for the Parnassus Campus buildings. High-rise evacuation infrastructure signage was developed and installed. A Floor Warden Program was implemented to prepare building occupants for safe evacuations. Floor Warden Volunteers were recruited and trained for each campus building.

The Departmental Emergency Action Plan, the cornerstone of the Emergency Preparedness Program, began a major modification to allow on-line access. The new version will allow access to vital resource and reference information during an emergency.

The Campus and the Medical Center participated in a statewide emergency drill. The drill scenario tested their coordinated response and preparedness to an act of biological terrorism. Lessons learned have prompted a number of action items that will improve the overall emergency preparedness of the UCSF campus and Medical Center.

On October 1, 2003, the UCSF Police Department implemented a new Security Services Division. The Security Services Division is responsible for managing the university’s electronic access control project, campus security guard services, security clearances and fingerprinting services.