UC Berkeley’s Top Cop Announces Retirement

BERKELEY, CA — UC Berkeley’s Top Cop is stepping down.

Police Chief Margo Bennett on Monday announced her retirement from a 46-year career in law enforcement.

She served in the UC Police Department for nearly 20 years, including eight years as its chief.
Bennett will continue serving during a search for her replacement.

She plans to step down in June of 2022.

“With both the Chancellor’s Reimagining Public Safety Plan in its early phase of implementation, and UC President Michael Drake’s UC Community Safety Plan still in design, Margo assured me she intended to stay in order to help launch those two important initiatives and continue to provide stability and focus to the UCPD as these initiatives rolled out,” UC Berkeley Vice Chancellor of Administration Marc Fisher said in a statement.

“Margo remains committed to UCPD in order to navigate the department during one of the most historical times in policing.”

Bennett helped lead efforts to improve community engagement, Fisher said.

She is credited with developing an on-boarding process for new officers to get them familiar with the communities they serve.

She championed eliminating of the use of the carotid chokehold at all UC campuses, and partnered with the cities of Berkeley, Oakland, Albany and Santa Cruz to collaboratively address mutual community needs and concerns.

“UCPD is a respected agency in Alameda County due in large part to Margo’s commitment to training and partnership in addressing county wide issues,” Fisher said.

“Perhaps most important and exciting in terms of keeping our campus safe and healthy, Margo collaborated with other campus leaders in developing a mental health response team that will rely primarily on mental health professionals and not uniformed officers to serve and support community members in crisis.”