Why UC Merced says it is purchasing military equipment

MERCED, Calif. ( KSEE/KGPE ) – UC Merced is among the schools that purchase military equipment for policing students, raising concerns for some community members and civil rights groups – however, the university says the purchases are not related to or in preparation for any particular incident.

According to a document supplied by the UC Board of Regents , weapons given to schools include breaching rounds, distraction devices, Long Range Acoustic Devices (LRAD), and less-lethal tools, including kinetic energy and impact launchers and munitions, as well as chemical agents, such as pepper spray or tear gas.

“All these tools are meant to provide officers with the ability to de-escalate or overcome self-destructive, dangerous or combative individuals without having to resort to deadly force,” the document reads.

The Sept. 19 document also reports that in the past year, UC Merced used 7 Def-Tec eXact iMpact 40mm munitions for annual training. This school year, the office reports that the university intends to purchase 5 Def-Tec 40mm launchers and 100 Rounds of Model #6324 eXact iMpact™ 40mm Sponge Round munitions.

According to UC Merced officials, they purchased the equipment as “the department currently just has one launcher and no rounds for it,” and “UCMPD did not purchase equipment this past year due to budget constraints.”

Yourcentralvalley.com reached out to UC Merced. The university sent a statement saying the purchase of the launchers will be used to supply each of their patrol cars with less lethal options when confronted with life-threatening circumstances.

“The goal is to give officers options in the hopes of better outcomes for all involved when dangerous circumstances occur on campus,” the university said in a statement.

Officials with UC Merced say that although the weapons are termed military equipment, as they are not available for purchase by the general public, “UCPD’s equipment is not military surplus, nor is it military-grade or designed for military use. The university’s police departments do not use equipment from the U.S. Department of Defense.”

Although the topic surrounding UC’s purchase of the equipment has received recent media attention, according to university officials, annual reports of the purchase are a routine agenda item.

“The Board of Regents annually approves the policy governing the funding, acquisition, and use
of military equipment by UC Police Departments, in order to comply with Assembly Bill (AB)
481, passed in 2021. The purpose of AB 481 is to improve transparency, oversight, and
accountability in the use and acquisition of certain equipment by law enforcement agencies
across California.”

Despite the permissibility of the purchases, some are concerned about the possible ramifications, including civil rights groups such as the non-profit CAIR .

“While the UC administration states that military equipment is utilized by campus police officers for de-escalation purposes to promote public safety, these incidents show that the equipment has instead been used to silence and suppress students’ peaceful protests for Palestinian human rights,” an article by CAIR reads .

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