California colleges forced to disclose armories — some have military-grade weapons including the ‘Voice of God’

Military-style rifles, flash grenades and even powerful sonic devices nicknamed the “Voice of God” are among the weapons owned by police departments at California’s public colleges and universities.

An investigation found schools have failed to comply with a state transparency law requiring them to disclose what they own, how the equipment is used, and to give the public an opportunity to weigh in.

CalMatters reviewed records from all 148 University of California institutions and found several campuses only updated or published required reports after being contacted by reporters.

Lawmakers approved the military equipment transparency law in 2021 following nationwide calls for greater oversight of police departments.

Under the law, campus police can only acquire military equipment if officials determine there is no reasonable alternative for protecting public safety.

Schools are also required to publish annual inventories, disclose how often the equipment is used, and hold public meetings where students and community members can ask questions or voice concerns. 

According to CalMatters, compliance has been uneven.

Some colleges had not posted required inventories online, while others omitted details required by law, including the quantity of equipment or manufacturer descriptions.

Several campuses also acknowledged they either had not held the required public forums or could not demonstrate how those meetings had been publicized. 

The investigation also found inconsistencies over which weapons should be disclosed.

San Jose State University and San Francisco State University reported owning AR-15-style rifles, even though California State University’s systemwide military equipment policy does not specifically authorize them.

Cal State spokesperson Amy Bentley-Smith told CalMatters the rifles are considered standard-issue weapons and therefore exempt from certain reporting requirements, though San Jose State’s own report categorized them as specialized firearms. 

One of the most striking pieces of equipment identified by CalMatters is the Long Range Acoustic Device, or LRAD, used by UCLA police.

The devices can project amplified voice commands over long distances during demonstrations and emergencies, earning them the military nickname “Voice of God.”

They are also capable of emitting extremely loud warning tones, although UCLA officials said they only use them as public-address systems during crowd management situations. 

Richard Mejia, UCLA’s director of emergency communications and information, told CalMatters the university does not use the devices to produce the high-pitched warning tones they are capable of generating. 

CalMatters reported UCLA deployed the acoustic devices dozens of times during the 2024–25 academic year, primarily during protests and other large gatherings. 

Elsewhere, San Jose State’s inventory included tear-gas grenades and a submachine gun that campus officials said they do not intend to use.

“We will never use them,” Capt. Jermaine Thomas told CalMatters, adding the department plans to destroy both the grenades and the submachine gun. 

The investigation also found that some colleges used the reporting process to reevaluate their equipment.

After inquiries from CalMatters, Compton College adopted a military equipment policy for the first time, held a public meeting and created additional oversight committees for its police department.

“As a leader, you have to understand what mistakes are made. You have to fix the mistakes,” Compton College President Keith Curry told CalMatters. 

Other campuses, including Chaffey College, MiraCosta College, Southwestern College and several community college districts, also updated policies or said they planned to improve compliance after being contacted during the investigation. 

The review also highlighted student concerns about the growing presence of military-style equipment on campus, particularly following large pro-Palestinian demonstrations that swept California universities in 2024.

“The entire campus was talking about it,” student César Tlatoāni Alvarado told CalMatters while describing opposition to a proposal for Mt. San Antonio College to acquire AR-15 rifles. 

“There were so many students that were yelling,” Alvarado told CalMatters. “They were screaming at the administration. They were upset, they were frustrated. They felt betrayed.” 

CalMatters reported that Mt. San Antonio College ultimately had not purchased the rifles as of June 2026. 

According to the investigation, several colleges also said they are now committed to fully complying with California’s military equipment transparency law and, in some cases, reducing the amount of military-style equipment kept by campus police.

Reported campus inventories

• UC San Francisco: 68 semi-automatic rifles, 28 less-lethal launchers, 54,000 rifle rounds and one Long Range Acoustic Device.
• UC San Diego: 61 semi-automatic rifles, 13 less-lethal launchers, 5,500 rifle rounds and one Long Range Acoustic Device.
• Clovis, Fresno, Madera and Reedley colleges: 35 semi-automatic rifles and two less-lethal launchers.
• San Jose State University: 28 semi-automatic rifles, seven less-lethal launchers, 30,150 rifle rounds and 2,600 pepper-ball munitions.
• UC Berkeley: 24 semi-automatic rifles, 19 less-lethal launchers, 5,000 rifle rounds and one Long Range Acoustic Device.
• UC Santa Barbara: 24 semi-automatic rifles, 16 less-lethal launchers, 6,000 rifle rounds and one Long Range Acoustic Device.
• UC Santa Cruz: 23 semi-automatic rifles, 12 less-lethal launchers, 7,500 rifle rounds and one Long Range Acoustic Device.
• San Diego Community College District: 22 semi-automatic rifles, 19 less-lethal launchers and 9,400 rifle rounds.
• San Francisco State University: 22 semi-automatic rifles and seven less-lethal launchers.
• UC Davis: 20 semi-automatic rifles, six less-lethal launchers, 5,000 rifle rounds and one Long Range Acoustic Device.
• UC Irvine: 20 semi-automatic rifles, 19 less-lethal launchers, 16,000 rifle rounds and one Long Range Acoustic Device.
• Moorpark, Oxnard and Ventura colleges: 20 semi-automatic rifles, 10 less-lethal launchers and 22,260 rifle rounds.
• UC Merced: 20 semi-automatic rifles, seven less-lethal launchers, 19,600 rifle rounds and one Long Range Acoustic Device.
• Chaffey College: 18 semi-automatic rifles and nine less-lethal launchers.
• UC Riverside: 17 semi-automatic rifles, 12 less-lethal launchers, 3,000 rifle rounds and one Long Range Acoustic Device.
• MiraCosta College: 15 semi-automatic rifles, eight less-lethal launchers and 10,780 rifle rounds.
• Cerritos College: 13 semi-automatic rifles and three less-lethal launchers.
• Compton College: 10 semi-automatic rifles and three less-lethal launchers.
• Santa Monica College: 10 semi-automatic rifles, two less-lethal launchers and 1,600 rifle rounds.
• Mission and West Valley colleges: Nine semi-automatic rifles, six less-lethal launchers and 3,800 rifle rounds.
• Crafton Hills College and San Bernardino Valley College: Eight semi-automatic rifles and two less-lethal launchers.
• Cuesta College: Eight semi-automatic rifles (rifle ammunition unspecified).
• Southwestern College: Seven semi-automatic rifles, 12 less-lethal launchers, 5,978 rifle rounds and 3,755 pepper-ball munitions.
• Allen Hancock College: Six semi-automatic rifles and four less-lethal launchers.
• El Camino College: Six semi-automatic rifles, 11 less-lethal launchers and 300 pepper-ball munitions.

Other campuses reported owning less-lethal launchers but no publicly listed semi-automatic rifles, including Cal State Bakersfield, Channel Islands, Chico, Dominguez Hills, Fullerton, Humboldt, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Monterey Bay, Northridge, Pomona, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, San Marcos, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Napa Valley College, Palomar College, and the Foothill-De Anza Community College District, according to CalMatters’ review of campus records.

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