Civilian Services

Security Unit

Security

Security operations are provided by:

  • Two Safety and Security Officers II.
  • Six Safety and Security Officers I

They work five 8-hour days per week and are normally on-duty from 9:00 PM until 5:30 AM seven days a week. The Department of Student Housing provides security operations in residence halls. KU Police, Lawrence Police and Douglas County Sheriff's Departments provide building checks on numerous other university facilities located in their jurisdictions.

Security Officers and Housekeeping staff share lockup responsibilities for the university's classroom and office areas. Housekeeping is solely responsible for opening all facilities for normal operations. Security Officers assist with facility lockout situations. Here is the building policy for the KU Public Safety Office:
KUPSO building unlock policy

  1. KUPSO as a policy does not unlock any room or building for events . University Reservations and FO Housekeeping coordinate any unlock that is done for a reserved event.

    The buildings that are available for weekend use (unlocked by Housekeeping) can be found on the PROVOST policy. Malott, Murphy, Wescoe 9/06). Other buildings noted as ‘weekend’ use are maintained by the department responsible ( Union , Rec Center , Danforth, etc). Entry to any other event/reservation not in a designated weekend building must be coordinated between the hosting entity; building owner and/or FO for keys IN ADVANCE.
  2. KUPSO will only grant access to individuals that have been accidentally locked out of areas to which they have been given a key; and they will be required to produce the key(s) upon entry into the area. If, upon access, the key(s) cannot be produced, then the individual will not be allowed to stay OR remove any item/property from the room/area.
  3. Individuals requesting access to an area in which they do not have keys, should contact:
    1. The dean, director, chairperson that granted them access, as by Provost policy they are the responsible entity to validate entry.
    2. The sponsoring entity or person that arranged entry
    Again, we will not allow entry to these individuals; they must contact the appropriate sponsoring person to actually allow the entry.


In addition to the traditional lockup role, Officers also look for other problems that may exist in the buildings they patrol. Security Officers discover criminal activity and are sometimes involved in in-progress situations. They also check all Emergency Phones located on campus to insure proper operation.

All Security Officers are radio equipped with direct communications to the KU Public Safety Offices Emergency Communications Section. Other emergency response units do monitor the security radio frequency.

Statistics

  • Security Officers patrol the interiors of 45 university academic and business facilities on the main campus.
  • Officers cover approximately 5 million square feet of floor space with a building and contents value estimated at $1.5 billion.
  • Security and Housekeeping personnel share responsibility for opening facilities for special reservations (average 3,000+/yr.)
  • On an annual basis Security Officers will discover and report thousands of ordinary maintenance problems which require immediate maintenance attention.

Voice, Data, and Record Management Unit

Voice, Data, & Records Management

Emergency Communications

The Public Safety Office Communications Section provides emergency communications coordination for all entities within the university which maintain two-way radio systems; connectivity to those external agencies that provide emergency responses as well. In addition, it acts as the central repository for crime reporting, associated statistical data and criminal history reporting systems.

Electronic Monitoring

The Electronic Monitoring Section has a network of closed circuit TV cameras that are used to monitor certain areas of the main KU campus. The student monitors watch for suspicious activities; provide information to responding police and other emergency services personnel about the nature of an incident. The student monitors also assist University library staff in building closing and front desk security.

Records & Computing

Records and Computing Section is responsible for maintaining the KU Public Safety Office's data and the appropriate release of that data in the form of records. The majority of the data is contained in reports written by the officers. These records may be in paper or electronic format and are stored and disseminated within departmental, state and federal guidelines. The department's data base is maintained through personnel entering data into computers.



The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression and genetic information in the University’s programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Director of the Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access, IOA@ku.edu, 1246 W. Campus Road, Room 153A, Lawrence, KS, 66045, (785)864-6414, 711 TTY.