Dear Campus Community,
As we begin another rather unique semester, I want to welcome our new students, staff, and faculty and our returning community members to our campuses and virtual classrooms. With the first week of classes behind us and many challenges and opportunities ahead, I’d like to take this time to remind you that University Police Services is focused on preserving an environment where you can study, live, and work safely. It is extremely important to us that CSN students, faculty, and staff feel supported.
University Police Services (UPD) serves the College of Southern Nevada, Desert Research Institute, Nevada State College, and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. A central tenet of UPD’s commitment to the campuses we serve, since its consolidation, has been one of a cultural shift from traditional policing to a true community-oriented policing model based on transparency, accountability, empathy, responsiveness, and appropriate visibility. This philosophy guides our efforts in our interactions with our campus communities. We are committed to working closely with campus partners and learning from them. It is our mission to encourage and engage our community to work as one in order to provide a safe, secure, and enjoyable campus environment.
You will see your officers patrolling campus on foot, bicycle, and in patrol vehicles – and I encourage you to stop and speak with them when you have the opportunity. Our proactive anti-crime, safety awareness, self-defense, and security escort programs are available to all members of the campus community and we are also available to provide specialized presentations and trainings upon request. UPD has continued to provide police services to our campuses during the pandemic while practicing social distancing guidelines and we have worked hard to ensure continuity and make virtual presentations available during this time. We look forward to hosting in-person events on campus again and engaging with our community – so keep an eye on our social media, @UPDSouth and events calendar for updates.
UPD Public Safety Advisory Board
I wanted to make our campuses aware of the newly formed University Police Services Public Safety Advisory Board. The Board’s representatives include student leaders, classified employees, administrative faculty, and academic faculty from each of the institutions UPD serves. The Board serves to enhance lines of communication between students, staff, faculty, visitors and UPD. We are living in a critical time that requires us to be more intentional with our actions. Together, with student, community and campus leaders, organizations and stakeholders, the Board provides recommendations to UPD which includes:
- Support for a community-based public safety approach that fosters and enhances communication channels and relationships;
- Promotes a commitment to campus empowerment and inclusivity;
- Solicits stakeholder input on matters pertaining to public safety ideas, issues and concerns;
- Evaluates campus needs and makes recommendations that elevate evidence-based, trauma-informed public safety;
- Supports transparency; and promotes awareness of public safety programs and services.
With the support of our campus leaders, the Board is committed to strategic and intentional actions to address campus community safety. Campus constituents are encouraged to get involved by contacting their institution’s representatives to share public safety ideas and concerns. Additional information and board member contact information can be located on our website.
As partners, University Police Services stands ready to service the needs of our campus communities during these unique times and we will continue to work toward awareness and active engagement, ensuring a transparent and accountable delivery of law enforcement services. We encourage you to follow us on social media @UPDSouth for alerts and updates, to practice “See Something, Say Something” by reporting suspicious activity, to download the CSN MobileSAFETY App, and contact us if you need assistance.
I look forward to seeing you all back on campus.
Adam Garcia
Vice President & Director
University Police Services, Southern Command
702.895.2634
adam.garcia@csn.edu