University Police Department

Crime Alerts/Clery

Crime Alert for December 27, 2014

Both the University Police Department and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office responded to a series of burglaries reported at The Flats at UNF, 4850 First Coast Tech Parkway, around 5:00 a.m. on December 27, 2014. According to investigators, someone broke into several apartments through a window. Once inside, the suspect then forced entry into several bedrooms within the apartment. A female UNF student was sleeping and awoke when the unknown suspect entered her bedroom in one of the units. The suspect told the victim to get down on the floor. When the victim screamed, the suspect fled. Because the room was dark, the student is not able to give a description of the suspect. In all cases, it does not appear that anything was stolen.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office reports that there have been similar break-ins at The District, an apartment complex just north of The Flats on Kernan.

The University Police Department is increasing patrols of The Flats. Any suspicious activities should be reported to the UPD at (904) 620-2800.

Safety Tips:

Lock Doors:

It may seem simple but it is very important to lock your doors, even when you are gone for just a few minutes. Most crimes are crimes of opportunity. It only takes a few seconds for someone to enter your room or your car and take your valuables. We recommend that you always lock your door when your room or your car is unattended. Don’t give someone the opportunity to make you a victim.

Suspicious Activity:

We encourage you to contact the University Police Department any time you see something or someone suspicious. This could include an unfamiliar person loitering around campus, a person “cruising” the parking lot or someone trying to sell things door-to-door. We are here to respond to your concerns, so please don’t hesitate to call us. We would rather check out 100 “false alarms” than miss one incident truly needing our attention.

Mission & Vision

Our Mission

The University of North Florida Police Department is entrusted to preserve the peace, provide general police services to the University community, and enforce the laws of the State of Florida, the ordinances of the City of Jacksonville, as well as the rules, policies and traffic regulations of the University of North Florida. In cooperation with the entire campus community, the University Police Department also is committed to protecting the University's population, buildings, grounds and equipment.

Our Vision

A safe and secure campus which fosters an atmosphere that allows the University community as a whole to achieve personal and institutional goals pertaining to learning, working and quality of life issues.

Core Values

PARTNERSHIP: The University Police Department will work to create partnerships with the University community. Partnerships allow the community a voice in the policing process and promote a mutual understanding of quality of live issues.

INTEGRITY: The single most valuable tool a law enforcement officer has at his/her disposal is integrity. Integrity builds a foundation of trust and support, which is an essential element in a relationship between the police department and the community.

RESPECT: The University Police Department serves a diverse community and each person in our community deserves a level of respect that we would want extended to us as an agency and as individuals. Having respect for every person we serve will help build relationships that improve the community as a whole and will ensure that the rights of every individual are respected.

Focus on Community Safety

The University of North Florida Police Department sponsors a Safety Ranger program to escort students to and from parking lots weekday evenings from sundown until 10 p.m. During all other times, the escorts will be conducted by UPD officers. Students can request a Safety Ranger or officer by calling (904) 620-2800, or using a Code Blue Phone. The Safety Ranger program provides an extra layer of security to everyone’s safety while on campus.

In addition to a strong emphasis on the Mission, Vision, and Core Values, members of the University Police Department have implemented a pro-active approach in administering police services with focus on Visibility, Prevention and Enforcement to reduce crime and improve safety on campus.

With this principle in mind, each member of the University Police Department is coached on the importance of this approach in their daily activities when serving our community.

A Focus on Visibility – Officers are encouraged to maintain a high level of visibility in all of their assignments to provide a sense of safety and comfort within our community and to discourage crime.

A Focus on Prevention – Officers are encouraged to identify any problems or concerns on campus and then implement crime prevention tactics and techniques to address them. This proactive technique helps to address the issue before it becomes serious.

A Focus on Enforcement – After using visibility and prevention tactics, enforcement is implemented where necessary to address the law or policy violation to bring about the necessary compliance.

A FOCUS ON VISIBILITY, PREVENTION and ENFORCEMENT increases the safety of our community and encourages a closer working relationship within the community we serve.