Enhancing Safety and Community Policing at the University of Maryland

UMD now has an in-house team of mental health clinicians who respond to mental health emergencies along with the first responders. The team is called the Mental Health Emergency Assessment and Response Team (MHEART). New procedures are also being implemented for managing mental health transports to better support students in crisis. Additional details - coming soon.

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 DPS website. 

The Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Division of Student Affairs continue to work in close partnership in responding to student needs. The MOU was completed in Fall 2023 and is posted on the DPS website.

Community policing entails re-examining or transforming who plays an active role and measures to take in certain situations. The Department of Public Safety, the Division of Student Affairs, and other UMD departments continue to enhance and expand community policing programs. Examples 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 an alternative 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 continues to meet with SGA Student Affairs Committee (SAC), which promotes the general welfare of the student body by working to improve the safety and security of the campus.

Maryland Police Training Commission requires this training for annual officer certification. Training is next scheduled for Fall 2023.

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. 

Mission Statement revised 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.

Annual training is required for all officers to maintain certification. Training is next scheduled for Fall 2023.

Mental health screening for all police officers prior to hiring is an ongoing practice required by Maryland law. The Department of Public Safety remains in compliance. A greater focus is being placed on providing support for officer wellness, with additional support steps underway.

Officers complete regular training on these issues. Maryland Police Training Commission (MPTC) requires 18 hours annually. The Department of Public Safety (DPS) meets or exceeds all requirements. Training is next scheduled for Fall 2023. DPS has a team of officers trained in crisis intervention who handle mental health calls for service.

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. Subject to these agreements, DPS can assist with ensuring the safety of campus members who live outside of campus boundaries. UMD’s MHEART team (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 partnered with the Counseling Center to add unarmed counselors to response protocols for mental health incidents through the 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 reviewed procedures for notifying the community about incidents. All-clear alerts now include more detailed summaries. Subsequent developments after the all-clear are posted to the DPS website.

UMD and its partners are committed to addressing safety needs for the campus community. The Department of Public Safety (DPS) worked with the Student Government Association and others to review the number of blue light phones and coverage was found to be sufficient. In addition, DPS proactively checks blue light phone functionality on a monthly basis. Facilities Management also regularly surveys and addresses campus lighting issues, and the City of College Park helps to review and address lighting concerns located off-campus. 

Current agreements with other police departments are posted on the Department of Public Safety website.

In Spring 2024 and 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. DPS also hosted a non-credit Citizens' Police Academy in Fall 2023 and Spring 2024. Another Citizens’ Police Academy and Bridging Perspectives course are scheduled for Spring 2025.

In addition, DPS 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 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). 

New business cards are being 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 complaints, compliments, and employment opportunities.

After its December 2022 kickoff, the council convened again in February and April 2023. It plans to meet at least once each semester.