Departmental philosophy: The APSU Department of Public Safety provides the full spectrum of capability for law enforcement response. The Officers patrol campus on foot, on bicycle, and in marked and unmarked patrol cars. It is the intent to provide a visible presence to the campus community, both to deter/detect crime and violations and student and worker policies; and to avail the department to community complaints and issues regarding safety and security. Despite the full response capability, it is the philosophy of the department to handle issues at the lowest level possible, and to involve the effective process of student disciplinary proceedings when appropriate.

Communications: Campus Police operate from a headquarters with a walk-in dispatch office, manned 24 hours per day. Campus community members are served by a “4848” campus emergency call number, as well as the traditional 911 emergency number accessing a centralized, city dispatch for police, fire and ambulance services. Phones in campus elevators, as well as 26 emergency call boxes throughout campus, ring directly into the dispatch office. Officers are dispatched by radio both on their persons and in patrol vehicles. The department is currently in the process of transitioning to an 800 mHz radio frequency and becoming part of an area-wide, emergency user group, centrally dispatched through the Clarksville 911 Center. APSU will retain a dual-dispatch capability that will allow us to receive and transmit calls to campus officers without necessity to involve non-campus parties.

Fire, rescue, and emergency medical response: Austin Peay enjoys the advantage of having a campus less than 300 yards from the main station of the Clarksville Fire Department, home to full-service emergency capability including hazardous material response and emergency medical technicians and equipment. The campus serves as a primary firefighter training area when classes are not in regular session. Gateway Regional Medical Center, including trauma services, is approximately two miles from main campus. APSU programs administered at the English Education Center on Fort Campbell receive similar service, and the Center is within yards from Blanchfield Army Community Hospital.

Disaster preparedness: The Public Safety Department is the university’s proponent for disaster preparedness, and operates under an Emergency Preparedness Plan published in January 2000. The plan provides contingencies for natural and man-made disasters including nuclear, biological, and chemical incidents; inclement weather; mass casualty accidents; and terrorist incidents. The plan will be updated and rehearsed before the beginning of the next academic year. The university operates a highly effective, campus-wide, early warning siren complete with programmed messages concerning the nature of the event, such as a tornado warning. The Department of Public Safety monitors local weather, news, and an emergency email network on a 24-hour basis.

Affiliations and relationships: The department exercises primary jurisdiction on main campus and at other university operating locations and properties. The department has concurrent jurisdiction on contiguous roads and land, with several other law enforcement agencies including the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department, and the Clarksville Police Department. Fort Campbell Military Police exercise primary jurisdiction at the English Education Center on Fort Campbell. Because of these jurisdictional relationships, APSU Campus Police coordinate continuously with other departments and commonly participate in joint training efforts. The APSU Department of Public Safety is an active member of the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police (TACP), and the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA).

Student Services: APSU Public Safety Department's Student Patrol operates a Security Escort Service every night of the week, from 6-11 p.m. The department also provides an “Operation I.D.” engraving service on request, and participates with other campus organizations in providing and distributing crime prevention and awareness information.

Officers speak to all incoming students to the university and meet regularly with student organizations to discuss concerns and recommendations. Public Safety operates a website that allows for direct email access to the Chief and other members, allows crime tips to be reported, and allows on-line appeals of traffic citations.

Campus safety and security is a Shared Responsibility:  You can protect yourself, your community and your property by taking steps to decrease your exposure to risks. Being aware of your surroundings and the people around you at all times, using assertive body language to communicate that you are aware and in control, traveling at night with friends or using the University's escort services, keeping doors and windows locked, and trusting your instincts and feelings will help you to feel safer and may deter an attacker. Remember, a crime cannot occur if the opportunity for crime is not present.

There are many things you can do to help make residences, apartments, and the campus community safer. No police department can function effectively without the concerted assistance of the community it serves. If you are careful, your time at Austin Peay will be safer. Remember that, in most cases, burglars and thieves are as successful as you allow them to be. Don't give them a helping hand or become apathetic - it CAN happen to you.