California Campuses Fail Military Equipment Transparency Laws

A CalMatters investigation of 148 public campuses across the University of California, California State University, and California Community Colleges systems revealed widespread non-compliance with a state law requiring transparency for military-grade equipment. The law, signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, mandates that campus police maintain public inventories, obtain annual governing board approval for use policies, and host public forums.

Findings show many institutions missed deadlines, omitted data on costs and deployment, or failed to hold required public meetings. Specifically, San Jose State University and San Francisco State University possessed AR-15s despite contradictory policies, while UCLA used long-range acoustic devices for crowd management. Some campuses reported holding unauthorized weapons, including submachine guns and tear gas grenades, which San Jose State University officials pledged to destroy.

In response, several administrators and systems have moved toward compliance. Keith Curry, President of Compton College, implemented a Corrective Action Plan and established new oversight committees after discovering his institution lacked a required equipment use policy. The California State University system committed to re-examining its policies, and some campuses have begun downsizing munitions inventories. Meanwhile, student activism at Mt. San Antonio College successfully blocked a proposal to purchase AR-15s.