Close up of a UT System Police Badge, with text on the side of the image: Office of the Director of Police

Office of the Director of Police

The University of Texas System Office of the Director of Police | 210 West 7th Street | Austin, Texas 78701

Main Phone:  512-499-4680 | Academy Phone: 512-263-2448

 

Mission

Quick Links

Mileposts of the UTSP can now be found at the History link to the left.

Letters by Director Heidingsfield, Chancellor McRaven and Ben Reyna are now available at the Letters link to the left.

The University of Texas System Office of the Director of Police (ODOP) is charged with the responsibility of protecting the life and property of individuals who comprise the student body, faculty, and staff of the University of Texas System community. The Director of Police is charged with the responsibility for oversight of law enforcement and security for The University of Texas System, the largest public university system in North America, by UT System Policy 170.

ODOP's Mission:

  • to oversee and guide the delivery of police services to the University of Texas community, its institutions across the State of Texas and 300,000+ students, faculty and staff
  • to train, develop and mentor the finest university law enforcement officers in the United States
  • to set the national standard for law enforcement at America’s educational institutions
  • to always respect the principal purpose for a university:  to educate our young people in a safe and secure environment
  • to identify emerging trends in crime patterns, criminal behavior, domestic terrorism and transnational terrorism and respond accordingly
  • to continually develop and sustain the capacity to operate in every location as a full-service law enforcement agency
  • to rely on the standards of national and state law enforcement accreditation, model policies and evidence-based best practices as we develop policing strategies
  • to set the expectation that our statutory obligations as peace officers shall be fulfilled and executed
  • to demonstrate that we are the exclusive law enforcement agency of the University of Texas System and that we are both confident and proud of our ability to protect our community from harm and ensure the public safety
  • to support the institution police departments with rapidly deployable special assets, advisors and resources
  • to continually advance the science and delivery of police training and education
  • to provide advice, counsel and guidance to institution police chiefs and their staffs
  • to foster the fullest cooperation, communication and coordination between the Director of Police, the ODOP staff, the institution chiefs and their police agencies
  • to continually improve the quality of candidates chosen for selection as police officers through the requirement of the highest caliber of personal and professional qualifications
  • to ensure that as a profession we embrace the highest standards of ethical behavior, principled decision-making and professional conduct

 

RUN. HIDE. FIGHT - Surviving an Active Shooter Event

Be Informed, be prepared, recognize signs of potential violence
For more information https://www.ready.gov/active-shooter

University Police Departments

UT Arlington - C & I

UT Austin - C & I

UT Dallas

UT El Paso

UT Permian Basin

UT San Antonio - C & I

UT-SFA - I & T

UT Rio Grande Valley

UT Tyler

Health Institution Police Departments

UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas - I & T

UT Medical Branch at Galveston - C

UT Health Science Center at Houston - C, I & T

UT Health Science Center at San Antonio - I

UT M.D. Anderson Cancer Center - C, I & T

UT Health Science Center at Tyler

Institution Police Departments indicated with C, I, and/or T are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement (CALEA), the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA) and/or the Texas Police Chiefs Association (TPCA)

Seal with the text: The Leading Authority for Campus Public Safety

 

Seal with the text: Law Enforcement Accreditdation Seal with the text: Texas Police Chiefs Association

 

Seal with the text: Texas System Police Association

Texas System Police Association

UTSP 2015 and Beyond

Video credits:

Dr. Randa Safady, Vice Chancellor for External Relations
Charles Palafox, Video Production Manager
Katherine Checkley, Script Advisor
Mehran Poursmaelli, Photographer
Assistant Director of Police Ruben Puente, Production Advisor

Police Personnel as of January 2021:

PERSONNEL TYPE ACTUAL AUTHORIZED
Commissioned Officers 626 619
Guards 491 415
TCO (Dispatcher)/Other 131 145
Civilian 185 209
TOTAL 1349 1388

 

An Introduction to the Blueprint for Campus Police:  Responding to Sexual Assault from Director Michael Heidingsfield

The Blueprint for Campus Police: Responding to Sexual Assault

Noël Busch-Armendariz, PhD, LMSW, MPA; Principal Investigator
Caitlin Sulley, LMSW; Blueprint Project Director
Kathleen Hill, LMSW; Director of Research Operations
Institute on Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault
School of Social Work The University of Texas at Austin
Briefing Sheets