University Police

Welcome to University Police

University Police is available 24/7 at (828) 232-5000. Dial 911 for off-campus emergencies.

The university encourages everyone to report crimes or suspected criminal activity promptly. All crimes or emergencies of any type that occur on campus should be reported to University Police.

Reporting crimes ensures proper tracking of incidents occurring on campus, ensures inclusion in crime statistics, and may trigger a crime alert notice to inform the campus community. University Police can assist in contacting the appropriate agency if needed, help refer you to local services, or the University Care and Crisis Team, which has trained members who are available to assist 24 hours a day. All UNC Asheville Police incident reports involving students are forwarded to the Dean of Students office for review and potential action by the Office of Residential Education.

The Police Department at UNC Asheville is a full-service law enforcement agency whose primary responsibility is the protection of life and property on the University campus. The department’s sixteen full-time police officers are professionally trained to meet standards set forth by the Criminal Justice Training and Standards Division of the State of North Carolina. UNC Asheville Police Officers have full police authority to investigate, apprehend and arrest under General Statute § 116-40. They provide the campus with police protection 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Crime Prevention & Awareness
Parking and Events
Jurisdiction
Non-Emergency Services
WatchDog Residence Hall Officers
Sex Offender Registration
SafeZone

Crime Prevention and Awareness

Emergency First Response

University Police officers are the primary means for emergency first response for a crime, suspicious circumstance, medical crisis, intrusion, fire alarm, or other critical incident situations.

Routine and Directed Patrols

Uniformed officers patrol the campus 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Officers may be on foot, in a vehicle, on bicycle, or in an electric GEM car. If there is an increased threat in a particular area due to recent crime or suspicious persons, officers will conduct extra directed patrols of that area. If you have concerns about a specific area or incident and would like to request directed patrols, please visit Weizenblatt Hall or contact police@unca.edu.

Criminal Investigations

Officers will respond to crime scenes and conduct follow-up investigations. This includes all aspects of a thorough investigation, including but not limited to: collecting evidence, conducting interviews, constructing reports, gathering testimony, and collaborating with other law enforcement agencies and the local District Attorney. University Police also provide police and security services to off-campus facilities utilized by the university. Crimes that occur in the facilities while being utilized by the university are counted and disclosed in the annual crime statistics for the institution.

Motor Vehicle Accident Reports and Traffic Enforcement

Officers direct and monitor vehicular traffic on campus and adjacent roadways. They enforce all traffic laws, making stops when appropriate. When vehicles are involved in accidents, officers investigate the circumstances and complete all reports. Please visit the Reports & Statistics page for information on obtaining a copy of a report.

Community Policing

Officers are given community policing assignments throughout campus. They are asked to make frequent contacts with the people in their assigned geographical areas or designated residence halls. Officers are expected to provide information, respond to questions, learn typical patterns, and cultivate relationships with the community. This helps officers identify when a person or activity is “out of place” and possibly a suspicious situation where crime could be prevented with quick intervention. It also facilitates an easier communications flow between police and members of the community.

Parking & Special Events

University Police provide event security for designated University events and upon approval of non-UNC Asheville events that are conducted on UNC Asheville properties. Requests for event security must be made at least two weeks in advance. The hourly rate for UNC Asheville police officers is listed below:

UNC Asheville sponsored events: $55/hour (minimum of 4 hours)
Non-UNC Asheville sponsored events: $60/hour (minimum of 4 hours)
Events requiring 4 or more officers will require that one of the 4 be a supervisor.
The supervisor rate is $10/hour more (minimum of 4 hours) for both categories.
Holidays will be a rate of $20.00 hr/extra for all of the above.
Request made with less than two weeks notice will be charged an additional $20.00 per hour.

Event Parking

The University Police Department works with the Parking Services office to assist with parking coordination and reservations for on-campus events. This includes:

Traffic control plans
Reserving parking spaces for event VIPs
Parking assistance for oversized vehicles
Monitoring loading/unloading of buses
Electronic signs: programming and placement

Please contact Wade Wood, Deputy Chief of Police at wwood5@unca.edu or (828) 232-5000 to schedule police officers or other needed security services. Any questions or concerns regarding event security may also be directed to Daran Dodd, Chief of Police at ddodd2@unca.edu.

Jurisdiction

The UNC Asheville Police Department was established by the authority vested in the Board of Trustees, and duly certified and sworn officers derive their police powers from North Carolina General Statute 116-40.5. The jurisdiction in which such authority can be exercised includes all property under the care, custody, or control of the university; on streets and roadways running adjacent to the campus; or beyond the jurisdiction when in continuous pursuit of offenders who have violated the law within the campus jurisdiction.

Campus Police Non-Emergency Services

Motorist Assistance

University Police officers will provide dead battery jump-starts and key extractions for keys that have been locked in vehicles. These services are only available for vehicles located on campus and can be accessed by calling the dispatch center.

Building Unlocks

With proper credentials, University Police will unlock and secure buildings and rooms on campus upon request. Proper credentials for students include building passes from the Chair of the department with an authorization email being sent in advance to police@unca.edu. The authorization email should include a list of students and the specific area they are authorized to access. Building passes will be distributed to individual departments by University Police. Faculty or staff need to provide ID before gaining access to buildings after hours or when providing unlocks for offices.

Safety Escorts

Students, faculty, and staff can request a safety escort whenever they feel unsafe on campus. An officer will respond and escort the person to the requested destination. We encourage community members to call especially if they are parked in remote locations, it is dark, or there is no one else around. After hours escorts may be provided to nearby apartment complexes for students.

Non-Emergency Medical Escorts

The University Police Department may provide non-emergency medical escorts to students when needed. Student health services is located at 118 W.T. Weaver Blvd, and a campus shuttle runs Monday-Friday to transport students. In cases where the student is unable to ride the shuttle University Police will assist.

Property Registration and Engraving

The department will register identifying information for valuable property in an electronic database for future reference in case of theft. When an item is stolen, identifying information (such as a serial number or owner applied number) is necessary to enter it as stolen in the national database. By registering the information with University Police, in the event the worst happens, the department will have it entered into the National Crime Information Center (or NCIC) database so that if pawn shops and other police agencies throughout the country find the property they will be notified that it is stolen and provided the owner’s information.

For items that do not have serial numbers, or if a student would like to have an item engraved with identifying information, we offer property engraving. To have an item engraved, please contact University Police dispatch at 828-232-5000 to schedule a time to meet with an officer.

Bicycle Registration

University Police will register bicycles on campus free of charge. By filing the identifying information with the department the information is easily accessible. In the unfortunate event that your bicycle is stolen, it can can be entered into the national database in a timely manner increasing the changes of locating it. Registration includes listing the bicycle and owner information on a registration form and placing a decal on the bicycle. This can be done by visiting Weizenblatt Hall or asking an officer during any of our bicycle safety outreach programs.

WatchDog Residence Hall Liaison Officers

Each UNC Asheville Police Officer is assigned to a residence hall. Officers conduct regular walkthroughs of their buildings and check in with the Resident Assistants and Community Directors. The program is meant to help students develop relationships with their liaison officers and ensure they know officers are available as a resource to solve issues and provide advice. Officers also assist with sexual assault, alcohol, and drug programming, often in conjunction with Residential Education staff.

Ponder Hall

A Squad: Shelton
B Squad: Craig
C Squad: Sgt. Ganung
D Squad: Sgt. Wood

Governors Hall & Governors Village

A Squad: Shelton
B Squad: Williams
C Squad: Rivenbark
D Squad: Autry

West Ridge & South Ridge Hall

A Squad: Shelton
B Squad: Williams
C Squad: Hanson
D Squad: Autry

Mills Hall & Founders Hall

A Squad: Hermann
B Squad: Williams
C Squad: Rivenbark
D Squad: VACANT

The Woods

A Squad: Hermann
B Squad: LaFave
C Squad: Hanson
D Squad: VACANT

Local Sex Offender Registration Information

In accordance to the Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act of 2000, which amends the Jeanne Clery Act, University Police is providing a link to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation’s Sex Offender Registry. This act requires institutions of higher education to issue a statement advising the campus community where law enforcement information provided by a state concerning registered sex offenders may be obtained. To view information on registered sex offenders in North Carolina, visit the online North Carolina Sex Offenders and Public Protection Registry.

SafeZone

SafeZone is a mobile safety application that allows UNC Asheville students, faculty, and staff to contact University Police for emergency and non-emergency assistance while on campus. In the event of an emergency, you can use this app to quickly share your location and profile details with University Police staff to ensure a timely response and connection to the appropriate resources.

Activations occurring off campus will automatically be redirected to a 911 center for dispatch of emergency assistance.

SafeZone Features

Emergency: Connect with University Police at the touch of a button if you feel threatened or need urgent assistance.
Check In: Share your location with University Police if you are walking alone or feel vulnerable on campus. If you don’t clear the check-in timer, or if you drop your phone, an alarm will alert the University Police for response.
Shuttle: Students can call to request an on-demand shuttle. Review University shuttle routes and real-time shuttle location tracking by clicking “Buses” in the sidebar menu.
Non-Emergency: Contact University Police if you have a question or need non-emergency assistance with building access, vehicle jumpstart, or safety escorts.
Health and Counseling: Connect with the appropriate University mental health resources. Access contact information for the Health and Counseling Center and designated after-hours resources.
Report a Tip: Share helpful information with University Police either anonymously or with information linked to your account. Include the location and optional photo of your concern to assist with follow-up.
Emergency Notifications: In the event of an emergency, including severe weather, nearby active criminal activity, and other public safety threats, a Bulldog Alert will be sent with information and instructions to all users.

How to Download and Use SafeZone

Download the SafeZone app from either the Apple App Store or Google Play.
Open the app and enter your UNC Asheville email.
You will be taken to a UNC Asheville login page. Use your UNC Asheville email and password to log in.
You will then be taken to a set-up page. Enter your first and last name, phone number, optional photo, and optional medical information.
Click “Sign Up.”
Read all Terms and Conditions, then click “Agree.”

Note: Profile information you enter will be accessible to University Police staff when you activate the “Check In” or “Emergency” buttons. Medical information is not required but can be helpful in case of a medical emergency. You can access and update this information at any time by clicking the menu in the top left corner and then your name and email address at the top of the sidebar menu.

How It Works Printable Instructions