UC PRESIDENT MARK G. Yudof has moved on two fronts to address policing issues in the wake of the pepper spraying of UC Davis students and other incidents involving law enforcement officers and protesters.

Yudof has called on former Los Angeles police chief William J. Bratton to undertake an independent fact-finding mission on the pepper spray incident and report back to him with the results within 30 days.

Bratton, who also led the New York City police department, now heads the New York-based Kroll consulting company as chairman. He is a renowned expert in progressive community policing.

“My intent is to provide the chancellor and the entire University of California community with an independent, unvarnished report about what happened at Davis,” Yudof said.

Yudof’s action follows requests for independent investigations from UC Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi and California State Assembly Speaker John A. Perez.

Under the plan, Bratton’s report also will be presented to an advisory panel that will consist of a cross-section of students, faculty, staff, and other UC community members.

The advisory panel, whose members will be announced at a later date, will review the report and make recommendations to Katehi on steps that should be taken to ensure the safety of peaceful protesters on campus. She will present her implementation plan to Yudof.

On a second track, Yudof has appointed Charles Robinson, UC general counsel, and Christopher Edley, Jr., dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law, to lead a systemwide examination of police protocols and policies as they apply to protests at all 10 UC campuses.

This effort will include visits to campuses for discussions with students, faculty, and staff, and consultation with numerous experts. The review is expected to result in recommended best practices for policing protests across all 10 UC campuses.