About

The Chief of Police and Executive Director for Safety & Security establishes the departmental goals, policies, procedures and organizational structure. He directs and controls the activities of the department and is responsible for accomplishing its mission. He is assisted by one Deputy Chief who manages the Patrol Services Bureau and the Support Services Bureau.

Our HUDPS Police Officers are either armed Special Police Officers or unarmed Security Officers. They have been commissioned, or licensed, by the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Security Officers Management Branch, and operate under their guidelines and local and federal laws. The department patrols the campus and is responsible for the protection and safety of persons, property and buildings on campus. Our mission is accomplished through crime prevention and safety education programs and regular patrol of buildings and campus grounds

Officers are required to attend the Campus Public Safety Institute prior to becoming a HUDPS Campus Police Officer and undergo continuous and extensive training to upgrade their skills. Officers are trained in first aid, CPR, and emergency medical procedures as first responders as well as other areas. They patrol the Howard University campus community areas on bicycles, on segways, on foot, on scooters and in cruisers 24 hours a day.

Our officers and investigators have developed and maintain an extremely close working relationship with MPD. This is visibly evident when special traditional events are held on campus, such as commencement and homecoming when very large crowds participate. The members of both agencies work together to reach out to the University community and the diverse urban surrounding communities to prevent and control crime while helping to solve community problems.

The powers of arrest of HUDPS officers are limited to the properties and facilities owned and operated by Howard University with limited exceptions. When reports of criminal offenses are involved and HUDPS officers are the first to arrive, the complainants are given the opportunity to also receive services of the Metropolitan Police Department. It is always and entirely the complainant's choice to choose to report to HUDPS, MPD or both agencies.

The Security Operations Communication Center (SOCC) is located at 2301 Georgia Avenue, NW. It is the nerve center of receiving and managing police communication operations, incoming calls for police services, emergency calls for assistance, opening and closing of buildings, alarms of security breaches, radio communication and dispatch functions. The SOCC operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year.