FAQ: University of Cincinnati Police

   Q: When was the University of Cincinnati Police Department founded and put into place?
A.  The current department was created when UC changed to a state university in 1977.  Prior to that, UC was a municipal university, and it also had a police department.

Q: How many officers does UC employ? Overall, how many employees on police staff?
A.    UCPD has 72 sworn officers and 26 security officers.

Q: What is the UC Police’s use of force policy?
A.    See two documents:
Use of Force Policy.
Updates to Use of Force Policy.

Q: Are campus police trained at the same level as municipal police officers?
A: Yes. UC Police officers complete all training required by the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission, which sets training standards for all police officers in the State of Ohio. UC police officers receive more than 1,200 hours of training before they are allowed to patrol. This includes more than 600 hours of training through the police academy curriculum. Upon their hiring, UC officers complete 80 hours of new hire training and then receive 14 weeks of field training. Additionally, UC officers complete annual continuing education classes. In 2014 UC police officers, on average, completed 132 hours of in-service training.

Q. Is the University taking any steps to better train its police personnel in light of the death of  Samuel DuBose?
A. Before this tragedy, UC had already begun to engage in a process of providing additional training to its police related to field training, urban policing, use of force, bias, procedural justice and Title IX. The University is committed to fast-tracking this additional training and will complete an external review of the police department and take steps to ensure that UC is applying best practices. It is important to point out that all UC police officers receive the same state-required training as other municipal law enforcement officers.

Q. What is the hiring process for UC police officers?
A. UC’s Police follows industry standards for the hiring of new officers. This includes extensive polygraph and background checks as well as a home visit.

Q: How far off-campus will UC police pursue crime? Are there set boundaries?
Please see UC's Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Cincinnati.  UC Police have patrolled the areas near the UC because approximately 87 percent of our 43,000 students live off campus with thousands living in neighborhoods immediately surrounding UC's Uptown Campus.

Q: When did the UCPD begin its widespread use of body cameras?
A. October 2014. The university is an early adopter of body cameras. Many forces, including municipal police departments, don’t yet use them. The use of body cameras is a proactive step to ensure transparency in support of patrolling beyond our campus borders.

Q: Why do campuses have police departments?
A. All of Ohio’s four-year public universities have their own police forces. In fact, hundreds of universities across the country house on-campus police departments. Campus police departments are often necessary because campuses represent a large population in a limited geographic area, and there is often significant demand for public safety services. The University of Cincinnati is like a “city within a city,” hosting over 1,000 events each year, enrolling over 43,000 students, and employing more than 16,000 faculty and staff. All college campuses must also comply with federal requirements targeted specifically at colleges.

Q: Are there any official partnerships/initiatives between UC Police and Cincinnati Police? If so, what are those?
A. In addition to the Memorandum of Understanding (mentioned earlier), UCPD and CPD leaders meet twice a month to review crime statistics, discuss trends and collaboratively strategize on the best tactics to reduce crime and improve public safety in areas surrounding UC’s Uptown campus.  A nightly debriefing also occurs between third shift lieutenants from UCPD and CPD to ensure seamless communication and to plan coordinated patrols.

Q: Are there any partnerships that President Ono has spearheaded?
In November 2012, President Ono launched the President’s Safety Summit, which meets quarterly to discuss ways to enhance safety for UC’s students, faculty and staff.  The summit includes representatives of the students, parents of students, community leaders, city leadership, faculty, administrators and the Cincinnati Police Department District 4 and 5 Captains as well as the Cincinnati fire chief.  Under Dr. Ono’s leadership, the City of Cincinnati and UC also have worked collaboratively together with Duke Energy to enhance street lighting in areas around campus.