About UPPS
Explore UPPS and its mission, vision and values
About UPPS
Penn State University Police and Public Safety (UPPS) is committed to serving and protecting the University community with respect, professionalism and accountability. Through professional law enforcement, emergency preparedness and response, crime prevention, safety education and community engagement, UPPS works collaboratively with students, employees and community partners to foster safe and welcoming campus environments. Guided by a community policing philosophy, UPPS emphasizes trust, meaningful relationships and proactive problem-solving while continually advancing innovative practices and services that strengthen safety and resilience across Penn State.
UPPS Mission
We serve and protect our community with respect, professionalism, and accountability, while striving for excellence.
UPPS Vision
It is the vision of the Penn State University Police and Public Safety Department to:
Be a leader in innovative campus policing and public safety practices;
Engage stakeholders in problem-solving and crime prevention strategies;
Provide consistent professional and value-added service to our communities;
Establish a cohesive, inclusive, and innovative work environment;
Establish a resilient University; and
Maintain a commitment to excellence.
Values
Integrity: We act with integrity and honesty in accordance with the highest academic, professional, and ethical standards.
Respect: We respect and honor the dignity of each person, embrace civil discourse, and foster a diverse and inclusive community.
Responsibility: We act responsibly, and we are accountable for our decisions, actions, and their consequences.
Discovery: We seek and create new knowledge and understanding, and foster creativity and innovation, for the benefit of our communities, society, and the environment.
Excellence: We strive for excellence in all our endeavors as individuals, an institution, and a leader in higher education.
Community: We work together for the betterment of our University, the communities we serve, and the world.
UPPS Community Policing Philosophy
All Penn State University Police and Public Safety (UPPS) employees are expected to embody the department’s Community Policing Philosophy daily through their respective roles. This philosophy, based on The Final Report of the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing and Community Policing training from the Police One Academy, includes understanding and demonstrating that:
Community policing improves public safety, enhances social connectivity, enhances economic strength, increases community resilience to crime, and increases police job satisfaction.
Community policing involves collaboration and communication with fellow employees in UPPS as well as employees and students across Penn State in order to help solve community problems.
Community policing begins with police interacting with community members unrelated to criminal matters and having positive interactions with the community before a crisis occurs so that the community and police trust each other when a crisis does occur.
Community policing means understanding that trust cannot be attained without the community's belief that police place community members’ well-being at the heart of all law enforcement activities.
Community policing means demonstrating to the public that police officers are allies with community members, guardians of human rights, and protectors and promotors of the dignity of all, especially the most vulnerable.