UW Police Department

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Collaborates with our community to create a safe and secure UW campus through education, problem solving, and enforcement. 

Types of Complaints / Topics Addressed

As a fully commissioned law enforcement agency, UWPD maintains the same responsibilities and authority as other municipal departments in the state of Washington.  UWPD serves and protects the students, staff, faculty and all people and property within the jurisdiction of the UW community. Commissioned law enforcement officers are on duty 24 hours a day, every day of the year. The UWPD has the exclusive responsibility to act upon law-enforcement matters and perform police functions for the Seattle campus of the University of Washington. Officers investigate all crimes and enforce federal, state, and local laws as well as Washington Administrative Code (WAC) rules within UW’s jurisdiction. All sworn university peace officers have successfully completed training at the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission Academy or equivalent training recognized by the commission. Many UWPD officers hold either an associate or a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, sociology, psychology, community relations, or other public service-related fields. In addition to this extensive training, the officers also attend additional functional training throughout the year.

Disclaimers

Retaliation protection:
University of Washington policy prohibits retaliation against people who bring a complaint or participate in the complaint process. An employee who engages in retaliatory conduct is subject to appropriate corrective action, including dismissal. 

Exception to confidentiality:
Any information shared in emails, tools, or reports may be subject to public records requests or released under federal and state law. 

Process

What information you need to submit, what happens after

When calling in to report an emergency, crime, or safety issue, UWPD dispatchers will be asking for some things in a consistent order. Where is the incident, what specifically is happening, and when did this happen/is it happening now. If there is a police response needed, they will likely ask for descriptions of involved persons – male or female, approximate age, color and type of clothing items worn, etc. It is okay to not know every detail on these questions, but answering to the best of one’s ability is helpful. The dispatchers use this information to weigh the relative priority of the incident against other incidents which may be occurring simultaneously, and to connect the best resource to the issue reported. The initial response will generally involve an officer contacting the complainant and/or victim(s) for a formal or informal statement, determining if a crime has occurred, and attempting to locate and/or identify suspects. Depending on the situation, these may occur in a different order, or even simultaneously between multiple officers. For crimes-in-progress, the officer will likely be directly intervening in the incident and will take further investigatory steps after the immediate dangers are resolved. Officers will typically provide a business card with their contact information at the conclusion of the contact, especially if a crime has occurred. The best way to provide additional information or ask questions after the initial response is to email the officer, since they will already be familiar with the incident as well as the reporting individual. For felony cases, the report may be passed on to the detective bureau who would then manage future contacts regarding the case. 

When does reporter hear back?

Varies

Point of Contact Info

Emergency: 911
Non-Emergency: 206-685-8973 (UWPD) TTY
Anonymous Tips: 206-685-8477 (TIPS)
Business: 206-543-0507

Hours: Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. | 1 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
Address: 3939 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105

Email: uwpolice@uw.edu
Records: policerecords@uw.edu
Fax: 206-685-8042

Other Considerations

The UWPD’s jurisdiction is limited to the main campus in Seattle and does not include locations in other parts of the city. You can now also report incidents online. View UWPD page to see which incidents can be reported online.