Dear Students,

Welcome back to WSU, perhaps for the first time! Your WSU Police Department has two primary goals: One, providing quality law enforcement services; and two, helping you enhance your educational experience through guidance and support whenever possible.  

While you can always reach us by dialing 911 from a campus phone, you may also call us by dialing (316) 978-3450 from any phone. Across campus, you will see poles with blue lights on top.  Currently there are 40 on campus and each mark the location of a police call box for your use. It will put you in immediate contact with the police dispatcher. In the near future, every one of those blue lights will have a 360 degree camera to help keep everyone safe.

Take advantage of the free Rave Guardian app for Android and Apple. It will turn your phone into a personal safety device for both on and off campus. Users can create a profile, and invite family and friends to their safety network. The app provides instant access to resources — including contacting us directly or even sending anonymous tips via direct link to us or Crime Stoppers! Just search “rave app” at Wichita.edu. You can also sign up for the ShockerAlert System to text you safety alerts in “real time.”  Which, by the way, the Rave Guardian app is linked to that alert system as well.

Look us up on the university website, Wichita.edu/services/police. Lots of good information to help keep you safe and informed. Some examples of information you will find on the police website include: daily crime log, university emergencies, identity theft, domestic violence, tips on personal safety, and more. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @WichitaStatePD.

While we have an extremely safe campus (check out the statistics on the police website), we firmly believe in being prepared and responsive to you, our community. For that reason, we offer safety escorts.  Leaving a night class or other activity? You can call us and we will send an officer to escort you from your on-campus location to where your car is, or housing. We also can jump start your car (really nice in winter) if the battery goes out on you.

With your safety as our priority, we welcome invitations to come speak to any groups about any topic where the police and the community intertwine. One example we have is a presentation on Active Threats on Campus. Currently we are working on a scenario based Active threat training that we hope to have rolled out during the fall semester — so look for that announcement. A new program we are excited to start offering for the first time this semester: Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.) training for women. Two classes are already scheduled. Again, welcome and savor your experience of being on campus.

We are one community — we can’t do this alone.  We encourage you to “see something, say something.” In the words of Sir Robert Peel, “The police are the public and the public are the police. The police being the only members of the public that are paid to give full-time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen, in the interests of community welfare and existence.”

On behalf of the men and women of the WSU Police Department,

Interim Chief Bob Hinshaw