Community Policing

• Community policing improves public safety, enhances social connectivity, enhances economic strength, increases community resilience to crime, and increases police job satisfaction. 
• Community policing involves collaboration and communication with fellow employees in UPPS as well as employees and students across Penn State in order to help solve community problems.  
• Community policing begins with police interacting with community members unrelated to criminal matters and having positive interactions with the community before a crisis occurs so that the community and police trust each other when a crisis does occur.  
• Community policing means understanding that trust cannot be attained without the community's belief that police place community members’ well-being at the heart of all law enforcement activities. 
• Community policing means demonstrating to the public that police officers are allies with community members, guardians of human rights, and protectors and promotors of the dignity of all, especially the most vulnerable. 

This philosophy is also demonstrated through UPPS policies, such as our Procedural Justice policy. 

Community Oriented Policing (COP) Unit 

The Community Policing Philosophy describes the characteristics that all our employees should exemplify. Additionally the UPPS Community Oriented Policing (COP) Unit serves all Penn State campuses where UPPS provides police services. The COP Unit is responsible for managing logistics for day-to-day community policing tasks, such as:  

• Facilitating training for all our police officers that supports building meaningful and trusting relationships with the community; 
• Developing and instructing community education programs geared toward crime prevention, safety and victim support; 
• Planning and organizing events with and for our community members; 
• Participating in community discussions and meetings; 
• Working with community members to solve identified problems related to quality of life and safety; 
• Monitoring criminal activity through and facilitating proactive plans for crime prevention; and 
• Data tracking and reporting.  

While the COP Unit manages these tasks and responsibilities day-to-day, it is done with the support of all police officers within UPPS because community policing is the responsibility of us all.  

The goals of the COP Unit include:  

• Actively building and maintaining long-term, meaningful relationships and collaborative partnerships with members of the community.  
• Working with community partners to identify, respond to and solve problems related to the community’s concerns and needs surrounding quality of life and public safety.  
• Actively educating the community regarding public safety awareness and crime prevention in order to support a safe community for all. 

Under the direction of the UPPS Public Information Office, the COP Unit is led by a COP Coordinator who works with a community policing designated officer at 22 campues where we provide police services.  

Request a Community Education Program 

Would you like the COP Unit to lead a community education program for your student organization, class or work unit? It’s easy, just fill out our Community Education Program Request Form.