Welcome back everyone for another semester at WSU!

The University Police Department is here to assist you in any way we can and to ensure you can focus on your studies and activities here at WSU. The WSU Police Department is a full-service police department with law enforcement officers who receive the same training as any other police officer in the state of Kansas.

Safety of our students is our number-one priority. We operate the police department under the philosophy of Caring and Compassionate Policing or what I refer to as C2 Policing. This simply means our number one goal is to make you feel comfortable and cared for here at WSU.

I want all new and returning students to feel safe and to please approach any of our officers with questions you may have or to report anything you think may require attention from a police officer. The department offers a program of safety escorts to class, to your car or anywhere on campus if you feel uncomfortable with someone or with a situation.

I hope you find your time here at WSU enjoyable. My job is to make all feel safe and welcome at our university.

Think safety in all you do. It is smart when possible to travel with a friend off campus and to let others know where you are going. There is safety in numbers and simple things like looking around your environment and not walking while looking at your phone constantly helps convey the message to others that you are looking out for yourself and those around you.

There are several features the campus provides for your safety. Any blue light on top of a pole on campus marks a police call box. Should you find yourself out of battery power or without your phone, you may use these phones, which ring directly to a police dispatcher who can get you help.

911 will always get you emergency service and it is a good idea to load the phone number of (316) 978-3450 into your phone as well for direct line to police dispatch. You can also download the “Rave Guardian” app from your smartphone as a safety feature. Some of the features of this app allow you to share with friends your location and set reminders to check in with the people you choose.

The shocker alert system is a messaging system the police department and the university use to send out a range of alerts such as weather and any type of criminal or emergency situation that may exist on or near campus. It is important to stay aware of these messages as well.

As Chief, I can be found most days in my office inside the police station if you should have an idea or just want to talk, myself and all of my officers have years of experience dealing with any question or situations you might have, so do not be hesitant to come by and see us.

– Rodney E. Clark, Chief of Police