A message to Oakland employees from Systemwide Director of Community Safety Jody Stiger
February 6, 2024 •
Systemwide Director of Community Safety Jody Stiger
Dear colleagues,
Like many of you, my staff and I have found recent media coverage surrounding crime in downtown Oakland concerning. It is essential for us all to be safe, and feel safe, when we come to work, so I wanted to take a moment to let you know that we are continually monitoring the situation around our offices and taking steps to protect our employees’ safety and well-being. Please read on to learn more about how we are working to help keep everyone safe.
New leadership staff
I am pleased to report that we have hired a new full-time associate director of security services, Martin Ticas, who will begin work on Feb. 12. Martin comes to us from the Foster City Police Department, where he has worked since 1998 in a variety of progressively responsible positions. Since 2016, he has served as captain. Martin brings 15 years of management, leadership and supervisory experience in a round-the-clock law enforcement operation responsible for the safety and security for a community of more than 35,000 people. He has deep experience in the Bay Area and is a UC graduate who holds a master’s degree in criminology, law and social ecology from UC Irvine. My team and I look forward to working closely with Martin to continue to enhance safety throughout the UCOP community.
Associate Director of Security Services Martin Ticas
Ongoing safety and security measures
- UCOPAlert: We understand that many employees, particularly those who are newer to UCOP, are eager to be added to the UCOPAlert emergency notification system. The UCSF Police Department now manages UCOPAlert and we are actively working with their ITS department to import all employee contact information. We plan to complete this process by the end of February and will update everyone on its status in the coming weeks. There is no action for you to take at this time. We appreciate your patience — we are working to complete this priority project as soon as possible.
- Additional UCOP security personnel: Security officers are posted around UCOP’s Franklin-Broadway buildings (11th Street, 12th Street, Franklin Street and Broadway) during commuting hours and lunchtime. They can be identified by the vests they wear.
- UCOP security escorts: Between the hours of 6:30 a.m. and 11 p.m., UCOP Security can provide escorts to employees and visitors between the Franklin-Broadway buildings, UCOP parking facilities and the BART station at 11th and Broadway. To arrange a security escort, call UCOP Security at (510) 987-9790 at least 30 minutes in advance.
- Safety classes: We are in the process of scheduling self-defense and safety-awareness classes. We will share more information when registration opens.
Community partnerships
In addition to the steps above, we continue to meet regularly with the Oakland Police Department, BART Police Department, local businesses and other community partners to seek opportunities to collaboratively strengthen safety throughout downtown Oakland. We understand that there is still a long way to go, but progress is happening: As a result of our advocacy, BART PD has added additional patrol officers to the 11th and 19th street stations during commuting hours, and Oakland PD has added additional patrol officers to the Swan Market and City Center areas from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. In the future, we hope to bring Oakland and BART police officers to UCOP to meet with employees and provide additional safety updates.
How you can protect your safety
The best way to stay safe, wherever you are, is to learn and follow best practices around personal safety, including:
- Always be aware of your surroundings and trust your instinct: If you sense that you are in an unsafe area or situation, leave the area and move somewhere safe.
- Do not be distracted by electronic devices. Stay off your cellphone when you are walking or driving.
- Be discreet with your property, including purses, phones, jewelry and other valuables. Carry bags, purses, and packages in front of, rather than behind you. Take them when leaving your vehicle and do not leave them in plain view.
BART commuters: We recommend downloading BART Watch, a free mobile app (available in English, Spanish and Chinese) that lets you quickly and discreetly report criminal or suspicious activity directly to BART Police.
If you have additional questions regarding safety at UCOP, please reach out to my team at ucopsecurity@ucop.edu and we will be happy to work with you to alleviate your concerns.
Thank you for your partnership as we continue to make UCOP a safe, secure and welcoming place to work.
Jody Stiger
Systemwide Director of Community Safety
University of California
Tags: Jody Stiger, oakland, safety
As a 40-year resident of Oakland who chooses to raise my kids here for the social benefit of Oakland’s vibrant and diverse community, I am dismayed that such intense coverage of crime eclipses all the beautiful aspects of living and working in Oakland. Where’s the coverage of the good things that happen all around us like live music at City Center, the Friday Farmer’s Market on 9th Street, the museums and art galleries, among so many opportunities to experience all that is positive about Oakland.
It is true that crime is at a spike right now but it is not the worse that I have seen it in the past nor is it the worst it will ever be. I would like to know what benefit the constant attention to crime has; for what purpose is this even being reported post facto? It seems to only perpetuate a positive feedback loop of reticence to come to work in community with our colleagues. Perhaps if more people worked downtown fewer people would see opportunity to commit crime among our desolate streets.
Thank you for sharing your perspective, Darin! We have passed your comment along to UCOP Security. For further assistance, please contact ucopsecurity@ucop.edu directly.
I, for one, appreciate all of your/your teams efforts to keep us safe. Thank you, Jody, for making this 58 year Bay Area native to feel safer with the protocols you have put in place. I have never been one to feel unsafe or be afraid of my surroundings but this past year has me rethinking the way I do things. I used to walk every single day at lunchtime. Now, I do not leave the office with the exception of coming to work and going home. I have had several friends in Oakland law enforcement and they will tell you, do not take this lightly.
Thank you Jody!!
Thank you for sharing your perspective, Sutton! We have passed your comment along to UCOP Security.
There needs to be more security escort destinations covered. Why are they so limited? Some people have to park in surrounding lots because they don’t have the UCOP parking lot. Some people use the Broadway Shuttle. Expand coverage area beyond just a few steps please.
Thank you for sharing your perspective, Nicola! We have passed your comment along to UCOP Security. For further assistance, please contact ucopsecurity@ucop.edu directly.
Thank you, Jody and team!
Thank you for sharing your perspective, Noelle! We have passed your comment along to UCOP Security.
Thank you for your ongoing efforts to make the surrounding areas safer, Jody. I agree with Nicole and would advocate for extended escort destinations. Remote workers who come to the office for the day or for specific meetings are not permitted to park in the UCOP lot. If they drive, they have to park in nearby public lots, which poses further risk to their vehicle and to their personal safety walking to/from the office.
Thank you for sharing your perspective, Irene! We have passed your comment along to UCOP Security. For further assistance, please contact ucopsecurity@ucop.edu directly.