Campus Safety
University of Arkansas Police Department
Serving and protecting as the first nationally accredited policy agency in Arkansas
The University of Arkansas Police Department (UAPD) dates back to 1972, when the university took action to evolve from a security detail to a full-fledged police department in order to keep pace with a new era of campus law enforcement reflective of the changing climate on college campuses nationwide.
Today, UAPD consists of 32 fully trained officers and investigators and seven support staff comprising the first nationally accredited police agency in the state of Arkansas - a distinction dating back to 1995. Its mission is clear:
The women and men of University of Arkansas Police Department, in partnership with the community we serve, are committed to protecting the future of Arkansas by promoting a safe and secure environment through excellence, initiative and integrity.
UAPD is divided into three major divisions: police services, which includes patrol by vehicle, bicycle, segway and foot - operations typically associated with a police department; investigative services, which includes crime scene processing, evidence collection, and interviews and interrogations; and support services, which includes communications, community relations, crime prevention, public information, records, technical services and training.
Through these divisions, UAPD is able to provide 24-hour campus patrol, crime suppression, campus safety escort service, vehicle unlocks and motorist assistance, crime prevention information, emergency and information telephones, non-criminal fingerprinting, and statistical data, among other services. All officers receive 12 weeks of training at the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy, after which they are assigned to field-training program. All members of UAPD are certified in CPR and as first responders.
The department has the same law enforcement authority as any municipal police department or county sheriff's office in Arkansas, with jurisdiction over property owned or under the control of the University of Arkansas and any area adjacent or contiguous to that property, such as streets, alleys and parking lots. UAPD also has jurisdiction over off-campus property upon which any registered institutional organization is maintained, such as fraternities and sororities.
In sum, UAPD patrols 24 miles of campus roads, 75 parking lots with approximately 7,000 spaces, 150 buildings spread over a campus of nearly nine square miles, and is responsible for the safety of more than 20,000 students, faculty and staff.