Since the late 1960s, American higher education has been a policed state. One day in the near future, it may become a militarized state.
The days of a single unarmed security guard everyone knew seem like ages ago. The greatest fixation from in loco parentis—tremendous, sympathetic care for each and every student—seems now to have existed on another planet.
The UC Berkeley Police Department (UCPD) is partnering with the local police departments of Berkeley and Albany to seek funding to purchase an armored vehicle.
Why? Security—as we live in an age when the larger the arsenal, the more people feel secure.
It is “just a resource the agencies are trying to acquire in terms of protection for the community,” UCPD spokesperson Lt. Eric Tejada told The Daily Californian. Berkeley police department spokesperson Sgt. Mary Kusmiss added the vehicle would be used for “active shooters, barricaded subjects and rescuing individuals.”
The agencies are applying for funds from the Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI). “UASI program funds address the unique planning, organization, equipment, training, and exercise needs of high-threat, high-density urban areas, and assists them in building an enhanced and sustainable capacity to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism,” according to the grant program’s website.
Who are the perceived terrorists UCPD are worried about?
