Welcome to the University of Washington Police Department (UWPD).
Mission, vision and values
Professionalism
We demonstrate our professionalism through our conscientious adherence to the highest standards in law enforcement. We build professionalism by creating an environment that encourages teamwork, innovation, collaboration and self-evaluation.
Respect
Employees are our most important organizational asset. Our success depends upon our relationships with our coworkers and each person we serve. We promote respect for individual rights and personal dignity in our daily interactions. We foster and preserve trust within the University community, creating partnerships to eliminate crime and improve quality of life.
Integrity
We expect truth, honesty and ethical behavior from all members of our department. We uphold our position of public trust by maintaining the highest level of professional integrity and ethical standards through strict adherence to the administrative codes of our University and the laws of our nation, state and region.
Diversity
We make every effort to anticipate, plan for and respond to the needs of a diverse and ever-changing community. We appreciate and understand our similarities and differences, and value every partnership we establish. We recognize that different viewpoints, experiences and backgrounds are central to meeting the unique needs of the community we serve. We seek the input and talents of all members of the University in our efforts to safeguard the campus.
Excellence
We strive to be a premier law enforcement agency through our commitment to collaboration, communication, education, mentoring, outreach and teamwork. In our pursuit of excellence, we support the implementation of creative and innovative strategies to address community concerns.
Did you catch us exhibiting our PRIDE values? Write us at uwpolice@uw.edu to let us know about it!
“Safeguarding the Academic Community with P.R.I.D.E.”
Learn more about UWPD
Founded in 1902, the UWPD grew from a security force into a police department in the early 1970s.
Our department has been an internationally accredited CALEA agency since 2005, and we hold ourselves to the highest standards and follow best practices for law enforcement operations.
As a fully commissioned law enforcement agency, we maintain the same responsibilities and authority as other municipal departments in the state of Washington.
We are proud of our commitment to the University of Washington to “Safeguard the Academic Community with P.R.I.D.E.”
UWPD serves and protects the students, staff, faculty and all people and property within the jurisdiction of our community.
Commissioned law enforcement officers are on duty 24 hours a day, every day of the year. The UWPD has the exclusive responsibility to act upon law-enforcement matters and perform police functions for the Seattle campus of the University of Washington. Officers investigate all crimes and enforce federal, state and local laws as well as Washington Administrative Code (WAC) rules within the University of Washington’s jurisdiction.
All sworn university peace officers have successfully completed training at the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission Academy or equivalent training recognized by the commission. Many UWPD officers hold either an associate or a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, sociology, psychology, community relations or other public service-related fields. In addition to this extensive training, the officers also attend additional functional training throughout the year.
