The University of Akron Police Department (UAPD) was recently named the February 2025 “Agency of the Month” for its outstanding community policing efforts by the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police and the Law Enforcement Foundation.
In 2018, the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police and the Law Enforcement Foundation formed a new committee named “Community Relations and Engagement” to work with agencies of all sizes and capabilities to highlight their positive work that’s being done around Ohio each and every day. In 2019, the committee began a new program called “Sharing Ohio’s Best” to help bring awareness to the amazing work that agencies do all over Ohio to promote positive policing. The committee compiles submissions from agencies and selects one each month to be recognized. Typically, the committee focuses on creativity and how the program impacts the individual community. Recent programs that have been recognized include a teen driving course, programs to help the disabled and programs focusing on community safety.
The Community Relations and Engagement Committee issued this statement: “We congratulate the University of Akron Police Department for uncovering their full potential in community policing and being named the February 2025 Agency of the Month for the Sharing Ohio’s Best program. We’re excited for the future of community policing at The University of Akron and look forward to their positive engagements. True community policing takes effort, time and the most important of all - PEOPLE! Congratulations to Chief Jim Gilbride and the entire team at the University of Akron Police Department for a job well done!”
The University of Akron Police Department strongly embraces the philosophy of community engagement in its daily operations. Some of the community programs include:
- Community and Housing Oriented Policing - Since 2009, UAPD has maintained a Community and Housing Oriented Policing (CHOP) team. The CHOP officers serve as liaisons with the University’s residence halls students and staff. The CHOP officers tend to the unique needs of the residence halls while getting to know the students and staff in each hall. They accomplish these relationship-building efforts by attending residence hall events and by creating opportunities for informal but positive interactions with UAPD on a regular basis.
- Parent Q & A Panels and Presentations - Safety is an important topic for parents. Understandably, they want to know their child will be safe while away from home for the first time. University of Akron officers attend Q & A sessions and deliver safety presentations so parents can have an accurate picture of what safety looks like on campus. Officers also field telephone calls from parents on a regular basis who are concerned about their student’s well-being. In those instances, UAPD officers reach out directly to the student to check on them.
- Pizza with the Police - The University of Akron Police Department partners with the Undergraduate Student Government once a year to host “Pizza with the Police” at the Jean Hower Taber Student Union. It has been one of UAPD’s best attended community events for the past two years. This event creates an opportunity for all students to stop by and get to know the officers of UAPD.
- Educational Programming - UAPD offers several educational programs for the campus community, the most critical of which is Run – Hide – Fight. This important program aims to prepare students for an active threat situation. The department also offers training such as self-defense and Alcohol and Drug Awareness, which features the use of “drunk goggles” to help students understand the impact of alcohol and drug abuse.
- Officers in the Classroom - Some UAPD officers are not just police officers for the University, but they are students as well. While officers attend classes in their off-duty time, they sit in the same classrooms as other students and share the same student experience with their community. Numerous officers have taken classes at the University while also serving as a UAPD officer over the years. This experience provides officers with a community perspective while also showing the community that UAPD officers are a part of their same community.
- Safety Communications Campaign - The University launched a safety communications campaign this semester. The campaign was the result of collaboration between UAPD and the University’s Communications and Marketing team. The campaign includes a monthly newsletter to the community. The newsletter provides safety tips and includes entries to help the community have a better understanding of recent happenings within UAPD. Other elements of the campaign include UAPD open houses, digital signage and safety brochures, and partnering with students to conduct research on perceptions of safety at the University.
For more information about the UAPD, visit uakron.edu/safety/police/.
About University of Akron Police Department
The University of Akron Police Department is a full-service law enforcement agency staffed with 36 full-time sworn officers and four non-sworn personnel. Its mission statement reads, “It is the mission of the University of Akron Police Department to protect, serve and provide safety for a diverse university community in order to promote student success. The University of Akron Police Department strives for excellence and legitimacy in pursuit of its mission.”
About Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police
The Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police, Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to continuing professionalism and innovation among police executives in order to assure the continued success of the law enforcement community. Established in 1928, the Association is a fully staffed organization, offering a broad range of professional, educational and informational services.
With a mission to enhance our profession through strong leadership, innovative programs and exemplary services, the Association’s goals are: to serve its members; to increase the public’s understanding of the role police play in maintaining our quality of community life; and to foster improvements in police education, practice and research.
About The Law Enforcement Foundation
The Law Enforcement Foundation (LEF) is a 501(c)3 organization established in 1985 by members the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP). The mission was created around creating safer communities through the continuing education of law enforcement executives, education to the children of the community through our trained Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) officers, and to educate law enforcement on special topics as trends indicate.
LEF is the only entity in Ohio certified to train DARE officers where officers are prepared to educate children and parents about drug abuse prevention, internet safety, bullying, decision-making skills and personal responsibility. It is also the only entity to provide a three-tiered, executive-level management training for law enforcement, culminating in a Masters- level certification in law enforcement management.