Late at nights, long after the bookstore has closed and the hallways are vacant, a light will still be on in room 331 of the Gunther Trades Building.
This is the Police Department’s headquarters on campus and dispatchers will always be available and, most importantly, so will officers.
The Police Department is here to serve and protect and has the same rights and powers as state officers. Their jurisdiction is over the university, but they work closely with the community and campus organizations to keep everyone safe.
According to the police department mission statement, “Police officers are trained at the Utah State Police Academy and each year receive an additional 40 hours of in-service and specialized training.”
Many officers also have additional training, such as crisis intervention training and being certified fire marshals. Sargent Sprague, who has been with the university for 16 years, began as a fire marshal and in 2001 began to cross-train to become an officer.
Officers can be called out to incidents off campus and aren’t limited to crimes on campus. When responding to calls off campus, they help with a variety of incidents. They also file reports and participate in investigations.
The Police Department offers other services as well. For example, if a student is coming home late and would like to be accompanied, an officer can see to it that they get home safely. All that is required is a phone call to the dispatch center.
The lost and found is also in the police department. The hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and found items can be dropped off anytime. To contact the police department, call (801) 863-5555. Officers are available to meet with and help students, hopefully without having to ask for license and registration.
