About us

University Police Department's Mission

Our mission is a simple one: To provide a safe and secure environment for the staff, students, and visitors to campus. This commitment assures the University community that the police department will maintain constant vigilance over their property and personal safety. Our department employs professional sworn police officers, and with our excellent emergency dispatch staff and our student community service officers, we provide twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week service to the campus community. The UAF Police, Emergency Communication Center, and the professionals that comprise our department are integral parts of this campus community we proudly serve. We are honored for the opportunity to do so.

University Police Department

1788 Yukon Drive
P.O. Box 755560

Fairbanks, AK 99775
Phone: 907-474-7721
Fax: 907-474-5555

Email: UAF-Police-Dept@alaska.edu

 

Training:
The University of Alaska Fairbanks Police Department receives its statutory authority under Alaska Statute 14.40.043. This statute, enacted in 1992, bestowed general police powers upon police officers employed by the University. Each UAF officer, like their municipal and State counterparts, must meet the strict standards established by the Alaska Police Standards Council. Only officers who are fully commissioned and certified by the State as Police Officers carry firearms. Officers employed by the University understand and function in a manner consistent with our Community Oriented Policing program.

Duties:
The UAF Police Department serves to protect life and property, to prevent and deter crime, to detect criminal activity and apprehend offenders, to assist those in danger, those who cannot care for themselves and those in need of assistance, to protect individual constitutional rights, and to facilitate the safe movement of people and vehicles on campus.

  1. Contained herein are applicable State Statutes, Regents' Policies, and University Regulations which establish jurisdiction and the areas of responsibility for the University of Alaska Fairbanks Police Department.

    1. UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA: Established by State Constitution, Article Vll, Section 2.

    2. BOARD OF REGENTS: Established by State Constitution, Article Vll, Section 3.

    3. UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA POLICE DEPARTMENT: Established by Regents' Policy and University Regulation 02.09.01.

    4. COMMISSIONS: The President of the University has authority to issue commissions to qualified individuals under A.S. 14.40.043, A.S. 18.65.290, and Regents' Policy 02.09.01. The commission vests the officer with general police powers to enforce state and local laws in connection with offenses committed on property of the University.

    5. MAINTENANCE OF GOOD ORDER: Under Regents' Policy, 01.04.01, all officers and employees of the University of Alaska are required to comply with University of Alaska rules and regulations and to avoid disruptions of the University's operations, protect and preserve life and property.

  2. University of Alaska Fairbanks Police Department is one unit of the University of Alaska Police Department created by Policy and Regulation 02.09.01. Responsibility and authority for the systemwide coordination of the University of Alaska Police Department is vested in the Vice President and General Counsel of the University.

  3. The University of Alaska Fairbanks Police Department reports to the Vice Chancellor of Administrative Services. (The Vice Chancellor reports directly to the Chancellor).

  4. The department is administered by a Chief of Police.

  5. The University of Alaska Fairbanks Police Department has the responsibility for the overall safety and security of the Fairbanks Campus. Working with other University departments, this department strives at providing a safe environment for students, employees, and the general public. The Department utilizes commissioned officers, office personnel, and students to accomplish this task.

  6. Commissioned Officers are appointed by the President of the University (AS 14.40.043). As such they have general police powers and are authorized and empowered to enforce the laws of the State in connection with offenses committed on property of the University. Commissioned Officers are charged with maintaining peace on the UAF Campus and are authorized to investigate crimes, make arrests, preserve evidence, serve warrants, issue traffic citations, and to perform all other duties of a peace officer.

  7. Commissioned Offcers, under Regents' Policy 01.04.01, are to assist all University Employees to protect life and property on the University of Alaska Fairbanks Campus. The Commissioned Officers are also authorized to carry either a concealed or non-concealed firearm in the performance of their duties.

  8. University Police Officers will assist other area police agencies and the citizens of the Fairbanks community as outlined in the mutual agreement between the Fairbanks Police Department, the Alaska State Troopers, and our own department.
 

The Community Service Officer Program (CSO) has a proud tradition on this campus dating back to the early 1970s. Over the years, the program has gone through many transitions while the mission of the program has changed little. The mission of the CSO program, in basic terms, is to protect UAF property, help secure a safe environment for those that live and work on the UAF campus, provide service to the campus community and assist the UAF Police Officers as requested.

There is another aspect of the program that has been overlooked but is equally important. This aspect is that the program provides a training ground for officers going on into law enforcement or other justice related fields. It also offers a valuable training ground for students going into other occupations as well, providing them with opportunities to be a field training officer or shift supervisor.

CSOs are held to the same high standards as the fulltime Police Officers whether in training, discipline, accountability, integrity or professionalism. It is this tradition that CSOs of the department continue to uphold with pride and dedication.