Enhancing Safety and Community Policing at the University of Maryland

In 2024, UMD established the Mental Health Emergency Assessment and Response Team (MHEART), an initiative of the University Counseling Center in partnership with the Department of Public Safety. With MHEART, a mental health clinician responds to mental health emergencies along with police first responders. 

UMD’s MHEART program is one of the first mobile crisis co-responder programs in a university setting in the United States. The team includes two in-house licensed mental health clinicians who can respond to mental health emergencies with the police during and after business hours. The goal is to have the team fully staffed by the end of calendar year 2025.

The Department of Public Safety (DPS) provides event organizers and venue managers with strategies for safe and successful events, including those that reduce the need for onsite police officers. In Spring 2024, DPS updated its guidelines with input from key stakeholders. The guidelines outline crowd manager requirements, security personnel options (including the use of trained unarmed staff instead of police officers) and other event security considerations and are posted on the Special Events page.

The Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Division of Student Affairs work in close partnership in responding to student needs and entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Fall 2023. The MOU documents a framework for ongoing, intentional collaboration between the Division of Student Affairs and DPS to further develop UMD's student-centered approach to policing.

DPS collaborates with numerous organizations, both on campus and beyond. Visit its Partnerships & Outreach page for more information.

Community policing entails re-examining or transforming who plays an active role and measures to take in certain situations. The Department of Public Safety (DPS), the Division of Student Affairs, and other UMD departments continue to enhance and expand community policing programs. For more information and a list of initiatives at UMD, see the Community Policing page by DPS.

Examples of initiatives include: 1) the Lights On! program that enables police officers to issue $250 repair vouchers – instead of tickets – to drivers who are pulled over for broken lights or turn signals; 2) the Resident Life Community Engagement Program launched in August 2023 which helps train Resident Assistants to respond in various scenarios instead of police officers; 3) the Mental Health Emergency Assessment and Response Team (MHEART) program currently being implemented in coordination with the Division of Student Affairs (see Task Force Recommendation #1); 4) the Restorative Justice Alternative Resolution Process (RJARP) by the Office of Student Conduct and Office of Rights and Responsibilities as a method for resolving alleged violations (see Task Force Recommendation #7); 5) options for event security such as the use of trained unarmed staff instead of police officers (see Task Force Recommendation #2).

The Department of Public Safety (also known as the University of Maryland Police Department [UMPD]) regularly meets with the SGA's UMPD Student Advisory Council (UMPDSAC) to collaborate on ways to keep the community safe. UMPDSAC is composed of graduate and undergraduate students, student leadership group representatives, the Chief of Police and UMPD officers. Examples of topics discussed include mental health responses, micromobility, and student safety at events.

UMPD collaborates with numerous organizations, both on campus and beyond. Visit its Partnerships & Outreach page for more information.

The Department of Public Safety (DPS) continually conducts and completes training relating to diversity. In 2024, examples included Racial Profiling 2-Part Training and LGBTQ Community Training.  More diversity training topics are being planned for Summer 2025 and will be required of all UMPD officers. 

Additionally, all new hires receive Fair and Impartial Policing Training and Deaf Awareness Training. To enhance cultural awareness, they also visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The Police Academy also receives instruction directly from the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at UMD.

For more information, visit DPS’ Training page.

The Office of Student Conduct and the Office of Rights and Responsibilities, in the Division of Student Affairs, are implementing a new Restorative Justice Alternative Resolution Process (RJARP) as an alternative option for resolving alleged violations for eligible cases. The Department of Resident Life is incorporating restorative practices into its community building efforts and community development strategy. Student Affairs began training staff on strategies for community building in Summer 2024 as part of their restorative justice approach. Since then, Student Affairs has given multiple trainings, successfully completed 2 circle conferences and has a 3rd underway. 

The Department of Public Safety (DPS) revised its mission statement in Spring 2023 to be: 

The mission of the University of Maryland Department of Public Safety is to serve the university community, to protect life and property, and to uphold the law, all within a supportive, respectful and inclusive environment. 

Our values include professionalism, impartiality, empathy, and accountability. 

We are committed to the concept of community policing and work collaboratively to nurture partnerships, strengthen trust, and enrich quality of life.

The revised mission statement is also posted on the DPS website under Our Mission.

All Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers are certified by the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commission (MPCTC) which requires specific training and topics to be conducted annually.  UMPD further expands upon the MPCTC requirements by having officers trained in the use of force and de-escalation at least twice annually through practical (hands-on) skills training exercises.  

In April 2025, UMPD hosted a Crisis Intervention Team training, focusing on de-escalation and working with special populations.  Other training topics for all DPS officers include:

-Cultural Awareness and Diversity Overview
-Anti-Bias Training for Law Enforcement
-Hate Crimes Training for Law Enforcement
-Responding to People with Mental Illness
-Racial Profiling 2-Part Training

For more information, visit DPS’ Training page.

Mental health of police officers is critical for proper response and recovery. The Department of Public Safety (DPS) believes that it is essential for officers to receive support both before hiring and throughout their careers.

Mental health screening prior to hiring a police officer is required by Maryland Law (Public Safety Article 3-209). Maryland Law was updated in July 2022  with a requirement that all current police officers must undergo a mental health screening every two years.  DPS continues to conduct mental health screenings for all police officer applicants and completed mental health screenings for all staff in Spring 2024.

Benefits–Mental health screenings support the overall health of officers and ultimately benefit the university community by:

-Providing access to licensed providers and other resources
-Helping to ensure they are equipped to handle the demands of their jobs
-Supporting their overall well-being

New Wellness Efforts–In Spring 2025, DPS designated a Wellness Coordinator to implement a robust wellness program throughout the department.

DPS conducts regular training on defensive tactics based on requirements set forth by the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commission (MPCTC). DPS’ 2024 officer training included numerous defensive tactics topics such as:

-Communication skills
-De-escalation training
-Less-lethal training and techniques
-Restraint through weaponless tactics
-Scenario-based training

For more information, visit DPS’ Training page.

UMD has longstanding memorandums of understanding (MOU) with Prince George's County and Riverdale Park and one with the Maryland-National Capital Park Police as of Fall 2024. The MOUs define responsibilities and other protocols for cross-jurisdictional incidents. Visit DPS’ Jurisdiction page for these agreements and other details. 

Subject to these agreements, DPS can assist with ensuring the safety of campus members who live outside of campus boundaries. UMD’s Mental Health Emergency Assessment and Response Team (MHEART) program (see Task Force Recommendation #1) can also provide support for mental health incidents located off campus (exceptions may apply). For the future Purple Line light rail operations on campus, UMD will establish an MOU with the Maryland Transit Administration.

The Department of Public Safety (DPS) established a taser pilot program in August 2022 and added a BolaWrap pilot program in May 2024 to increase the number of non-lethal weapons available to officers. Per the task force recommendation, DPS continues to increase the use of non-sworn officers. Since Fall 2023, they have hired additional unarmed students who are trained to conduct routine patrols of campus. DPS has also partnered with the Counseling Center to add unarmed counselors to response protocols for mental health incidents through the Mental Health Emergency Assessment and Response Team (MHEART) program (see Task Force Recommendation #1).  DPS is committed to the continuous evaluation of non-lethal weapon options as well as research-based training efforts in de-escalation techniques, while applying best practices from peer agencies and lessons learned from past incidents.

UMPD prides itself in keeping the campus and neighboring  community informed. UMPD launched a new interactive statistics dashboard in Spring 2025 as part of a major website redesign. This dashboard allows the public to view departmental statistics and data–number of  traffic stops and arrests as well as calls for service and complaints–in a clear, concise, and user-friendly manner. The dashboard will be updated on a quarterly basis. Plans are underway to include more enhancements for data comprehension and additional data feeds as they become available. 

The task force specifically recommended Department of Public Safety (DPS) participation in student orientation. The Chief of Police and other officers participate in all student orientations (18 sessions in 2023), covering a range of topics from DPS services and organizational structure to safety measures, including response to  hate bias incidents. DPS also participates actively in parent orientations (30 sessions in 2023).

The Department of Public Safety (DPS) has reviewed all procedures for notifying the community about incidents. Updates were made to DPS text alerts to include 1) removing vague terminology such as “all-clear”; 2) providing more detailed summaries; 3) issuing additional alerts as more information is received and verified, and 4) sending a final text alert that includes a link for viewing future incident updates. 

Notification Methods-DPS notifies the campus and community members about on- and off-campus incidents through multiple channels, including text, email, UMPD website, UMPD News website, social media (Instagram, X, Facebook), early warning sirens and Alertus (physical notification system in certain UMD buildings).

UMD and its partners are committed to addressing safety needs for the campus community. More than 300 “blue light” or public emergency response telephones (PERTs) are installed throughout the campus in both interior and exterior locations. Visit the Emergency Blue Light Phones page for a campus map and description of the phones. The Department of Public Safety (DPS) worked with the Student Government Association and others to review the number of blue light phones for sufficient coverage. DPS also proactively checks blue light phone functionality on a monthly basis. 

Facilities Management regularly surveys and addresses campus lighting issues, and the City of College Park helps to review and address lighting concerns located off campus.

The property that constitutes the University of Maryland, College Park campus is, by law, the primary jurisdiction of the Department of Public Safety (DPS). DPS also has concurrent jurisdictional agreements with the Prince George’s County Police Department, Riverdale Park Police Department and the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. Visit DPS’s Jurisdiction page for these agreements and other details. 

In Spring 2024, in partnership with the Department of Public Safety (DPS), the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences launched a new for-credit course, SOCY244: Bridging Perspectives: Critical Conversations Between Students and Police. The course is also scheduled for Fall 2025. 

In Fall 2023, DPS launched its twelve-week (not-for credit) Citizens Police Academy for university and local community members. DPS convened another academy in Spring 2024 and Spring 2025, with the next one planned for Spring 2026.

DPS also bolsters communication, knowledge, and collaboration through its active outreach, engagement and partnership with the campus community, including the Division of Student Affairs (see Task Force Recommendation #3) and the Student Government Association (see Task Force Recommendation #5). Direct stakeholder input on concerns and proposed solutions also underpins UMD’s strides in community policing (see Task Force Recommendation #4).

The Department of Public Safety participates in professional development opportunities offered by federal agencies, Maryland State Police and other entities, including the Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (MDICAC) with the Maryland State Police; FBI Cross Border Task Force-Safe Streets; and United States Secret Service National Capital Region Cyber Fraud Task Force (NCRCFTF). 

DPS’ collaboration extends to numerous organizations, both on campus, in the community, and beyond. Visit its Partnerships & Outreach page for more information.

New business cards have been issued with an updated design and the new mission statement (see Task Force Recommendation #8). The cards include identifiable information about the officer and contact information for compliments, complaints, and employment opportunities.

The Department of Safety’s website also has contact methods for compliments, complaints, and for learning about employment opportunities.

Since its December 2022 kickoff, the council typically meets twice each fall and spring semester.