About the Department

Links:

• Organizational Chart (requires Adobe Reader)
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Employment Opportunities

The University of Michigan Department of Public Safety (DPS) is a full service law enforcement agency. DPS Police Officers are licensed by the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES) and have the authority and responsibility to investigate, search, arrest and use reasonable force as necessary to protect persons and property and to enforce the laws of the State of Michigan and the Ordinance of the Regents of the University of Michigan. To provide comprehensive parking enforcement and crime prevention, DPS also employs Parking Enforcement Officers, Communications Officers, and Public Safety Officers who are not licensed to have the powers of arrest, but who do have specialty training in their areas of responsibility as well as first aid, CPR and the use of Automatic External Defibrillators (AED).

University Police and Public Safety Officers patrol campus buildings and grounds, Housing Security officers specifically patrol residential facilities and Hospital Security Officers specifically patrol Hospital facilities. All patrols are designed to prevent and detect crimes and property loss from crime, fire and floods. Patrols are conducted 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Patrols are performed by officers on foot, in motor vehicles and on bicycles. The Department of Public Safety maintains a communication center to answer calls for services from the public, monitor intrusion, robbery, fire, elevator, temperature, and maintenance alarms for University buildings and monitor radio communications from a variety of University departments as well as other public safety agencies. Appropriate response is determined and necessary action is taken. The communication center is operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Each DPS officer is assigned to one of four districts throughout the campus. Officers assigned within the same district work together as part of a team in partnership with university community members to reduce the fear of crime and the conditions that contribute to crime, and to increase the community's involvement in resolving these issues. Officers are encouraged to establish and maintain long-term working relationships with community members. Rather than solely reacting to events, district teams take a preventive approach to eliminating problems that cause crime, or allow it to occur. Problem Oriented Policing principles are used as a means to attack the conditions that allow or that contribute to crime, as well as other elements that detract from the quality of life.

On a requested basis, DPS officers make presentations that are designed to inform students and employees about DPS, security procedures and practices that aid in the prevention of crime, with a focus on individual and community responsibility for personal and property security and the security of others. Similar presentations are made each year during student and parent orientations.

The University Department of Public Safety has a very cooperative relationship and works very closely with the Ann Arbor Police Department and the other local, state and federal law enforcement agencies in endeavors of mutual concern. The Washtenaw County Law Enforcement Mutual Aid Agreement assures that each police agency in Washtenaw County agrees to aid other agencies in need of law enforcement assistance and is just one example of the cooperation between area police agencies. The University also contracts with other Michigan law enforcement agencies for athletic events and other special activities.