Location
Our offices are located on the second floor of the Service Building or " S building, " which is adjacent to the Skillern Student Union Building on the main campus. See Campus Map for further information on the building location.
Hours of Operation
T he University Police Department's Patrol and Communications Office operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including weekends and holidays. The Department's Administrative Office is open Monday through Friday from 08:00am to 05:00pm The office is closed on holidays.
About the Department
The UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas Police Department, University of Texas System Police, is the law enforcement agency that provides security, enforces state and local laws, takes accident reports, and offense or incident reports for the UT Southwestern campus.
The University Police Department authorized strength of:
- 42 Law Enforcement Officers
- 52 Non-Commissioned Officers
- 9 Police Communications Officer
- 5 Administrative Staff Assistance
The guard personnel assist the police officers in providing security to both the 60 - acre south campus and the 40 - acre north campus, as well as off campus properties. During the Fall of 1997, the University Police Department implemented a bike patrol unit to assist the existing patrol units.
In December 2000, UT Southwestern purchased St. Paul University Hospital. The University Police Department is now responsible for providing the hospital with police and security-related services on a 24-hour basis.
The UT System Board of Regents commissions the department's officers per article 51.203 of the Texas Education Code. The officers are defined as " peace officers " under article 2.12 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure. Therefore, University police officers have the same authority to detain and arrest as municipal officers and other state officers. An amendment by the Legislature in 1987 to section 51.203 of the Texas Education Code extends the jurisdiction of University police officers to include all counties in which property is owned, leased, or otherwise under the control of the UT System. A policy issued by the UT System Board of Regents in 1987 defines the primary jurisdiction of UT Southwestern police officers as the area within the geographical boundaries of the campus and within the boundaries of property owned, leased or otherwise under the control of the UT System or UT Southwestern Medical Center.
University police officers have the power and authority to:
- Lawfully stop and detain individuals.
- Lawfully arrest individuals.
- Obtain and/or execute search or arrest warrants.
- Enforce local and state traffic laws and regulations.
- Issue court appearance citations for applicable state penal code or traffic offenses.
Training
U T Southwestern police officers are trained at the University of Texas System Police Academy located in Austin, Texas. The UT System Police Academy recruits must successfully complete intensive classroom, practical, and physical training in order to receive their state peace officer license issued by the Texas Commission On Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education (T.C.L.E.O.S.E.). In addition to the basic training provided at the UT System Police Academy, commissioned police officers are required by T.C.L.E.O.S.E. to receive additional in-service training annually. University police officers also receive specialized training in a variety of law enforcement related fields. 
