(Pictured above from left to right: Public Safety Aides David Maldonado, Erick Rodriguez, Alejandro Lara, Nicholas Hunter, Ku’Ran Hahkeem, Sgt. Harry Standberry, PSA Supervisor Gary Johnson. Not pictured: PSAs Jose Garibaldi and Jared Laskowsky)
The UCLA Police Department prides itself as a leader in providing progressive law enforcement services to a culturally diverse urban campus and its surrounding community. To further that work, the Public Safety Aide (PSA) program will be launched on Tuesday, October 31.
The PSA program was an outcome of the UC Community Safety Plan which requires UC campuses to address safety concerns with a tiered response. PSAs are not sworn officers, but support our patrol division by being dispatched when an issue does not rise to a level requiring a police officer.
PSAs will expand the department’s coverage by serving as additional eyes and ears around campus and patrolling areas that may need extra attention. They will also assist officers in the field with calls and investigations.
Riding around on bicycles, PSAs will be highly visible to members of the UCLA community and visitors to campus. They are available to provide assistance such as giving directions or stopping by an on-campus event when an officer isn't required.
“Our goal is to provide the best customer service possible to students, staff, and faculty as well as the general public,” said Sgt. Harry Standberry who oversees the program. “We want people to see our PSAs as a valuable resource and hope each experience with them is a positive one.”
