The Office of the External Vice President for Local Affairs (EVPLA) of Associated Students of UCSB (ASUCSB) received notice by Lieutenant Garrett TeSlaa of Isla Vista Foot Patrol that Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office has decided against the use video surveillance cameras in Isla Vista over Halloween Weekend 2022. While Isla Vista Foot Patrol is not at liberty to disclose the myriad of factors that ultimately went into this decision, the EVPLA office was informed that the concerns, frustrations, and reservations voiced by UCSB students and Isla Vista community members at recent public community forums were taken into consideration.
My hope in issuing this statement is that this news provides solace and reassurance to UCSB students and local residents in knowing that your dedication to collective action and civic engagement truly does make a difference in the decision-making processes that affect Isla Vista. Over the past month, the EVPLA Office spearheaded multiple initiatives to provide students and community members a platform to voice their concerns regarding the potential plans to implement surveillance video cameras as well as the decision to increase police presence over Halloween Weekend. With over 100 attendees present at our October 14th Halloween and Policing Town Hall, and with almost 500 signatures on our petition against surveillance in Isla Vista, UCSB students, and Isla Vista residents stood united in successfully voicing concerns to law enforcement. I want to express the EVPLA Office’s gratitude for UCSB students and the Isla Vista community in being catalysts for change.
The digilience of our beloved community in participating in local lobbying efforts has aided in meaningful advocacy work and will continue to hold such an effect. The EVPLA office continues to stay dedicated to ensuring UCSB students and Isla Vista residents, regardless of background or identity, feel at peace in their community; thus, by extension, we recognize that ensuring a safe, local, and equitable community has been made possible in large by the commitment to activism spotlighted in our community.