Should University of California campus police be reformed or defunded? The question is at the heart of a sharp disagreement that surfaced Tuesday during a UC symposium — part of an effort to “reimagine” campus safety following demands for racial justice after the police killing of George Floyd last year. The chasm was evident when some critics skewered the meeting for lopsidedly focusing on how to improve policing rather than exploring ways to replace it with alternatives. Both the UC Academic Senate Council, composed of faculty leaders at all 10 campuses, and the UC Student Assn. have called for disarming and substantially defunding campus police, proposing instead that those resources be redirected to support marginalized students and to study and develop other methods of campus safety. Several coalitions promoting those views have formed, including Cops Off Campus and the DIVEST/INVEST UCLA Faculty Collective.