Campus Safety & Security
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania is a member of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education and is concerned about the safety and welfare of everyone in the campus community. No campus is entirely isolated from crime, and Shippensburg University is no exception.
Shippensburg University has developed policies and implemented procedures in order to increase awareness and provide precautionary measures for all persons on our campus. The information contained within this publication is designed to provide an overview of the Department of Public Safety as well as other campus safety and security measures that have been instituted at Shippensburg University. This report is prepared by the Department of Public Safety, which includes the University Police Department as well as the Safety Department. It is in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act, Title IX and the Violence Against Women Act. It is produced in cooperation with local law enforcement agencies, the Division of Student Affairs, the Office of Student Conduct, the Office of Residence Life and Housing, the Student Health Center, the Women’s Center and the Counseling Center in addition to off-campus agencies, the Pennsylvania College and University Security Requirements (Chapter 33), The Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990 and The Accuracy in Campus Crime Reporting Act of 1997.
View the SUPD Safety Report [PDF] for Clery Reportable Criminal Offenses Reporting Tables.
Who is responsible for campus security?
The Department of Public Safety is responsible for providing security and police services on our campus. It has two components: the University Police Department, which has 15 full-time police officers who have received their training under Act 120 (the Municipal Police Officers’ Education and Training Act) and their police commission from the Governor and the Secretary of Education in Pennsylvania; and the University Safety Department, which is staffed by an Environmental Health and Safety Manager. University police officers are also required to attend annual update training under PA Act 180.
All full-time employees of the Department of Public Safety, in addition to any mandated or specialty training, also receive annual in-service training that includes CPR and first aid training.
The Department of Public Safety encourages all campus faculty, staff, students and guests to act responsibly and to report criminal activity in a timely manner to ensure a safe campus environment for everyone.
What is the enforcement authority of Public Safety personnel?
University police officers have full authority to enforce all state and federal laws, as well as any applicable university policies. The University Police Department is the police department of jurisdiction to the Shippensburg University campus. University police authority includes the power of arrest on campus property. University police officers may also initiate campus judicial board proceedings for violations of the Student Code of Conduct, as a sole process for resolution or in addition to criminal charges.