Commitment to Being a Trusted Police Department
UTPD’s ultimate vision is to be trusted by all UT Austin community members. UTPD believes that this can be achieved in the following ways.
- Utilizing university and community partners and programs where possible to divert individuals from the criminal justice system.
- Innovation in de-escalation techniques and training; exploring and creating new programs that incorporate university and community civilian partners in emergency response.
- Interacting with integrity, ethically, and respectfully when engaging with university community members; holding those accountable who do not demonstrate those attributes.
Transparency of Data
UTPD recognizes that our community expects more of us than just stating goals; numbers matter. In our effort to be as transparent as possible, and in response to requests from our community, we have made our quarterly incident report, strategic plan, recruiting plan, and de-escalation training data easily available for public view. We invite UT community members to view the following information.
Racial Profiling Statement
During the 77th Texas Legislative Session, Senate Bill 1074 was successfully passed. This bill was designed to address a growing concern regarding the practice of racial profiling in the law enforcement profession. Specifically, this bill mandates that police agencies in the State of Texas shall implement a policy that complies with Section 1, Articles 2.131, 2.133 and 2.134, of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, by no later than January 1, 2002. As such, UTPD has instituted a policy that addresses racial profiling and provides a complaint/ compliment process for those who believe they have been stopped or searched based on racial, ethnic or national origin profiling.
Two of the fundamental rights guaranteed by the United States and Texas constitutions are equal protection under the law and freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures by government agents. The right of all persons to be treated equally and to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures must be respected. Racial profiling is an unacceptable patrol tactic and will not be condoned.
It is the practice of UTPD to police in a proactive and responsible manner and to enforce state and federal laws without regard to race, ethnicity or national origin. All University of Texas at Austin police officers are expected to conduct themselves in a dignified and respectful manner when dealing with the public.
Compliments or complaints should be directed to the following channels:
Recruiting More Officers
UTPD’s goal is to be a law enforcement agency that better fosters relationships with our community, promoting trust, and facilitates effective policing by encouraging citizen support and cooperation. If you know someone that would make a great officer, please encourage them to apply!