Presidential Task Force to Examine University Police Policies and Practices

The Presidential Task Force provided their final report (PDF) to President Hutchinson on May 24, 2021. This page includes the context, charge, and membership of the Task Force.

The safety and security of Chico State students, faculty, and staff on campus and in the surrounding community is paramount. The peaceful Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests that we see across the country and around the globe are deep expressions of pain and outrage for those Black Americans recently killed, and the countless others who have died before them. These protests symbolize a collective cry to end the brutality endured by Black and Brown people through systemic racism that has plagued the nation for centuries.  

In the wake of national social unrest regarding law enforcement, it is important for Chico State to pause and examine its own policing policies and practices. The University Police Department (UPD) strives to provide a safe environment for the Chico State community through proactive, progressive, and professional law enforcement services. Effective community policing requires trust between police officers and the campus communities they serve. The work of this task force is not about defunding UPD. Rather, it is an opportunity to reimagine the work of UPD with a commitment to embrace anti-racism. Indeed, the Academic Senate endorsed support for this charge and recommended membership in its resolution titled CSU, Chico Academic Senate Condemnation of Violence Against Black People and Commitment to Antiracist Policies and Practices (PDF).

The task force is being led by a nationally known facilitator, Reverend Dr. Jaime Washington. Dr. Washington is president and founder of the Washington Consulting Group, and president and co-founder of the Social Justice Training Institute.

The task force is charged to provide a written report with recommendations to President Hutchinson by April 2021.  The report will be shared to the UPD and campus community, and recommended actions will be seriously considered.

Members of the campus community will be solicited to engage with the task force through listening sessions, open forums, and a web based survey in February and March 2021.  As the details regarding these opportunities are finalized, they will be provided on this web page and communicated to the community.  The task force also invites questions and ideas via email to UniPolicingTaskForce@csuchico.edu. 

Charge

The Presidential Task Force is charged with examining existing campus policing and public safety policies and practices, and thinking creatively about the most positive ways that the UPD can be fully integrated into the campus community. The Task Force also will analyze policing and public safety policies and practices for alignment with the University mission and strategic priorities.

Structure of the Review

The areas of review for the Task Force include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Building Trust and Legitimacy
• Policy and Oversight
• Technology and Social Media
• Community Policing and Crime Reduction
• Training and Education
• Campus Wellness and Safety

Task Force Members

• Juanwon Anderson-Verdell, Cross Cultural Leadership Center (CCLC) representative
• Paul Bailey, Chicano/Latino Council Chair and Faculty in Mathematics and Statistics
• Brooke Banks, Chief of Staff
• Kaylee Biedermann, Associated Students Vice President of Facilities and Services
• Elizabeth (Betsy) Boyd, Academic Senate Chair
• Jahi Corbin, Student Athletic Advisory Committee representative
• Nandi Sojourner Crosby, Faculty in Sociology 
• Bryce Davison, UPD Sergeant
• Pastor Loretta Dickerson, Bethel AME, Chico
• Matt Dillon, UPD Interim Chief, Task Force Co-Chair
• Herman Ellis, Retired Associate Vice President of Student Life
• Dawn Frank, Black Faculty and Staff Association Chair and Director of the Student Learning Center
• Claudia Sofia Garriga-Lopez, Faculty in Multicultural and Gender Studies
• Annabel Grimm, Director in the Division of Business and Finance
• Gloria Godinez, Assistant Director of Labor Relations and Compliance, Title IX, Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation
• Bre Holbert, Associated Students President
• Matt Jackson, Retired Vice President for Instruction and Student Services at Butte College
• Shelley Keener, UPD Staff
• Terence Lau, Dean of the College of Business
• Rachel McBride, Director of Tribal Relations Office and Native American Staff and Faculty Association
• Alix MacDonald, Advocate, WellCat Safe Place
• Malcolm McLemore, Interim Associate Director of the STAR Center
• Michelle Morris, Faculty Diversity Officer and Faculty in Nutrition and Food Science
• Robert Morton, Title IX/DHR Investigator, Task Force Co-Chair
• Juanita Mottley, Director of the WellCat Health Services
• Sandy Parsons, Interim Vice President for Student Affairs
• Tawnie Peterson, Chair of Staff Council
• Kate Post, Manager of Strategic Communications and Annual Giving
• Tray Robinson, Acting Chief Diversity Officer and Director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion
• Chunyan Song, International Staff and Faculty Association Chair and Faculty in Sociology
• Matt Thomas, Faculty in Political Science and Criminal Justice
• Krystle Tonga, Associate Director of the Cross-Cultural Leadership Center