UC Davis' embattled chancellor said Friday the university is "moving swiftly" to enact major reforms to campus police and administration operations following the release of a scathing report on last November's pepper-spraying of students by campus police.

"We are moving swiftly to address these issues and any others that need attention," Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi said in a statement Friday.

Katehi said independent, top-to-bottom audits would be conducted of campus police operations, including department policies and training methods, to develop proposals for change.

Additionally, an independent expert has been invited to lead a campus forum on police accountability, she said. The forum could lead to a campus police review commission.

A task force chaired by Cruz Reynoso, a former state Supreme Court justice, blasted the university's response to student protests of tuition hikes last fall in a 190-page report unveiled Wednesday.

Campus police officers' use of pepper spray on a group of seated protesters sparked international outrage and prompted the task force's investigation.

The report concluded the Nov. 18 incident "should and could have been prevented" and that there were "systemic and repeated failures" by university leaders in their attempt to contain the demonstrations.

"The informal leadership approach did not work. When a crisis like this happens, you need to know who is in charge," Reynoso said Wednesday in introducing the report. "There was a lot that should've happened that didn't."

Katehi also said "parallel, but wholly independent, internal inquiries" into officer conduct continue and are close to being completed.

"These inquiries will inform personnel decisions," Katehi said.

Acting Police Chief Matt Carmichael has headed the campus police force since the pepper-spray incident, when Chief Annette Spicuzza was placed on leave. She will remain on leave pending a resolution of the internal affairs inquiry, said campus officials.

Meanwhile, a newly formed Campus Community Council made up of students, faculty, administrators, alumni and others will meet for the first time next week.

Reynoso's task force also will hold question-and-answer sessions on campus Tuesday and Thursday on its findings.

The sessions will be 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday and 10 a.m. to noon Thursday in the multipurpose room of the Student Community Center.

This story has been changed from the print version to correct the last name of Acting UC Davis Police Chief Matt Carmichael. Corrected on April 14, 2012.

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