About the Department
The Department of Public Safety is responsible for the safety and security of over 10,000 students, staff, faculty and guests and governed by its Code of Ethics. With a jurisdiction including all university property and adjacent city streets, the department is responsible for 250 buildings over an area in excess of 140 acres. The department philosophy places an emphasis on such community policing practices as prevention, problem-solving, and joint police-community responsibility. Thus, the department attempts to fulfill its mission through interactive patrol as well as through community education. Please view our Mission Statement.
The department is organized, and functions in a para-military structure. There are two major divisions, Uniformed and Administrative. Within each division there are bureaus. The head of each bureau reports directly to the Chief of Police. The patrol division, now formally known as the Community Policing Bureau, employs police officers that are trained at the Municipal Police Academy and are empowered by the State of Rhode Island to enforce state statutes. Campus police officers, supervisors, captain and the Chief of Police make up our sworn personnel. Security officers are trained by the department and, along with the campus police officers, are authorized by the university to enforce university rules and regulations. Both police and security officers patrol the campus 24-hours a day to deter crime, develop community relationships and respond to calls for service and assistance.
The department also provides the community with the resources and education necessary to take responsibility for making informed choices about their personal safety. In addition to providing DPS services such as prevention workshops, crime alerts, and property engraving. For those choosing to walk, blue lights illuminate campus emergency phones both day and night to provide an immediate connection to a communications officer.
Safewalk, our student-run safety service, provides walking escorts for Brown community members during the academic year in the evenings. The program is home to approximately 28 student employees who are enthusiastic, personable, and dedicated to contributing to campus safety.
Brown University Public Safety personnel are on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week to serve the Brown University campus community. Only with the cooperation of everyone within the university community can these services be truly effective in providing better protection to persons and property.
The Public Safety Communication and Information Center is located at Faunce House Arch at 75 Waterman Street. The phone number is 863-3322 and TDD number is 863-1740. It is open and staffed by Communication Control Officers 24 hours a day. Communication control officers are responsible for answering all emergency and non-emergency calls for service, and dispatching officers to the appropriate locations for response. Department headquarters are located at 75 Charlesfield Street. These administrative offices are open Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. during the academic year, and 8:00a.m.-4:00p.m. during the summers session. The phone number for the administrative offices is 863-3103.