Campus Commitment

The University of Delaware Police Department is committed to the highest standards of professionalism, with a deep respect for individual rights and the dignity of everyone. We condemn the actions of any police officers whose behavior undermines and betrays the most fundamental principles that law enforcement officers are sworn to uphold. Our primary mission is to work in collaboration with everyone to prevent crime, enhance safety, and build trust with our community to foster an environment where our students, faculty, staff and visitors feel welcome and safe. We understand that the key building blocks to ensuring that we fulfill our mission are Accountability, Transparency, Training, Community Outreach, Campus Partnerships, and Educational Mission.

Accountability

The University of Delaware Police Department is accredited through CALEA (Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies), IACLEA (International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators) and DPAC (Delaware Police Accreditation Commission). It is important in every community that its police department adheres to the highest of professional standards and the accreditation process ensures that obligation is met. Operating a police department in accordance with accreditation standards is a proven management model. Integrity, accountability, and high professional standards are the hallmark of our department, as well as the foundations of the CALEA, IACLEA and DPAC standards. All of the officers with the University of Delaware Police Department are issued body-worn cameras, and our fleet of patrol vehicles are equipped with dashboard video cameras. The Department tracks all use of force incidents, vehicle pursuits, crashes, and citizens complaints using law enforcement based software that provides an early warning system for any officer who may be showing a concerning pattern of performance. In addition, any member of the community who would like to commend an employee for exceptional conduct or has concerns regarding the conduct of any department employee is encouraged to contact the Department via email, phone or in person to discuss the matter.

Transparency

On a daily basis, we publish a crime log that is accessible to the public and includes all of the reportable crimes that have occurred on campus. We also participate in the Police Foundation Open Data Portal that allows the community to have access to regularly updated reports of Employee Demographics, Community Engagement, and Use of Force statistics for the University of Delaware Police Department. Each report contains a printable and readable spreadsheet of important statistics in each category, along with a link to open data sets that can be analyzed and evaluated. It is also the policy of the Department to thoroughly investigate all complaints received from the public and its employees and to publish the results online in an annual Internal Affairs Statistical Summary Report. For your convenience, we have included the links to the reports described above as well as to others:

Training

The men and women of UDPD receive thorough, progressive training in order to provide police and security services for the campus community. The Department is committed to excellence, ethical conduct, and diversity. Our officers on average receive over 67 hours of training a year. This training includes but is not limited to:

  • Annual Bias Based Training
  • De-escalation Training
  • Fair and Impartial Policing
  • Crisis Intervention Training
  • Mental Health Training

Community Outreach

The University of Delaware Police Department focuses on a community oriented policing model that involves initiatives that build positive relationships with the community. To further this commitment to community outreach the Department has a unit (Community Resource Unit) that is dedicated to presenting community programs to the University and surrounding communities, and social media networking. As an extension of the Community Resource Unit the Department has Community Engagement Teams assigned to each of the patrol squads. The Department also has a ride along program, a Victim Services Unit, and Crisis Negotiation Team, as well as a Police EMT Program.

Campus Partnerships

The University of Delaware Police Department understands that there are a variety of different ways that we can embrace educational opportunities with our students when they commit minor violations without having arrest being the first option. With this education-first mindset, we have developed a close working relationships with the University’s Dean of Students Office. With this partnership we can ensure the same level of accountability for the student’s actions and add the educational component to help the student hopefully make better decisions in the future. We also work closely with the University’s Student Health and Wellness Office to ensure that any of our community members who might be experiencing mental health issues or crises are connected to the proper resources they need to get help. Some of our other partnerships include:

  • Division of Student Life
  • Athletics
  • Environmental Health & Safety
  • Emergency Management

Educational Mission

The Department embraces the fact that we are part of the educational process at the University, and with that in mind have created, in partnership with the University of Delaware criminal justice program, a credited Campus Police Academy course that is taught by members of the Police Department. UDPD also offers a Rape Aggression Defense course, a female self-defense program designed to combat sexual assaults and rapes. This program was created for the average woman who chooses to use the option of physical self-defense. It is available to all female students, faculty, and staff (full- and part-time). R.A.D. is taught by certified UDPD instructors and is endorsed by the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators. The course is physically and mentally challenging; however, it is also taught in a fun and friendly atmosphere. The Department also has an Emergency Care Unit, which is an award-winning, student-run volunteer organization, committed to providing professional emergency medical care, as well as student Cadet program.

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