Report: UC Bungled Occupy Demonstrations

An internal report commissioned by administrators has ripped the University of California campus police for its heavy-handed response to student protests.

The 10-campus system must establish a strategy for handling dissent without resorting to force, according to a review led by General Counsel Charles Robinson and Chris Edley, dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law and released Friday.

Administrators came under fire for their handling of Occupy Wall Street demonstrations last fall on campuses including UC Berkeley, where police struck protestors with batons, and UC Davis, where an officer was videotaped blasting seated protesters with a stream of pepper spray.

"For some campus administrators and police, this will require a substantial shift away from a mindset that has been focused primarily on the maintenance of order and adherence to rules and regulations," the authors wrote.

A final report including public comment will be released in June, Reuters reported.