Last year was the beginning of a new era for the Police Department at the University of California, San Diego. After several decades of being housed in one of the original pre-WWII buildings from the days of USMC Camp Matthews, we moved into a modern facility in August of 2005. Under Chief Orville King's watchful eye, we gained much needed space, replaced aging equipment, and now benefit from a more efficient and enjoyable working environment.

For detailed information about UCSD PD and programs offered by our department, please visit our website: http://police.ucsd.edu.

Patrol provides a full range of police services to the UCSD community. Patrol officers respond to a variety of calls including crimes in progress, requests for medical aid, traffic collisions and 9-1-1 calls.

In addition, our patrol officers have initiated a number of plainclothes special details to combat bicycle thefts, auto thefts and auto burglaries.

Patrol officers have continued to use nighttime thermal imaging equipment to assist them when responding to calls and when monitoring problem areas. Several transient camp sweeps were conducted during the year.

Two sergeants were promoted from the patrol ranks, giving each patrol shift two supervisors. We recently underwent field training in how to deal with hazardous material incidents. Rape Awareness Defense classes continue to be taught by patrol officers.

The new UCSD Communications Center is a dream come true for our department. The jewel of our new station, it is ergonomic, efficient and intelligent. Dispatchers have access to more technology and information than ever before. With the new RIMS computer aided dispatch and records management system (CAD/RMS), we are able to track calls more efficiently and are moving closer to becoming a paperless environment. We also consolidated two separate 9-1-1 systems into one, allowing our dispatchers to process emergency calls more efficiently.

Last year, we received funding to add another full-time dispatch position and a full-time records clerk.

The level of investigative activity during 2005 mirrors previous years; violent crimes remained very low, while vehicle thefts showed a slight gain. For the last two years, investigators have focused a great deal of effort on customer satisfaction. With few exceptions, detectives have made personal contact with all crime victims. To aid in this effort, plans are in place to increase the number of detectives.

Specialized Services is a multi-faceted unit, comprised of both police and civilian personnel, and is responsible for a diverse number of services to the University:

• Community Relations (including Crime Prevention, Special Events, Alcohol Taskforce, Senior Volunteer Program, External Liaison and Recruitment);
• Residential Security Officer Program
• Community Service Officer Program
• Bicycle Enforcement Program
• Motor/Traffic Officer Program
• Training and Background functions
• Terrorism Liaison Officer/Joint Terrorism Task Force Membership

The Residential Security Officer Program is expanding. In 2005, UCSD Housing and Dining Services requested we provide nightly security service to our “off-campus” affiliated housing. We are in the process of hiring four additional RSOs, bringing our eventual total to seventeen.

The highlight of 2005 for our unit was the summertime performance of the very popular Jack Johnson: over 25,000 people attended the event, which included a large beer garden. Every branch of our unit was utilized in the planning and execution of this concert, which was considered by the entire University community to be a great success.