Abbreviation BUPD Population 42,000 | Formed 1947 | |
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Legal personality Non governmental: Body corporate General nature Law enforcementCivilian police | ||
The Boston University Police Department (BUPD) is the primary law-enforcement agency of Boston University and provides services to more than 41,000 students, faculty, and staff on 132 acres (0.53 km2) of University property and surrounding streets.
Contents
History
The BUPD was created through an act of legislation in October 1947.
In 2005 a former deputy chief sued the university after being laid off by Chief Robert T. Shea (in 2002). A Massachusetts Superior Court judge dismissed the case but wrote that the plaintiff “reasonably … believed that BU and Shea were engaged in wrongful discrimination.”
In 2006, Boston University hired the superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, Thomas G. Robbins, as Chief of BUPD and Executive Director of Public Safety.
Organization
The department employs 50 sworn personnel and a complement of 10 civilian support staff. Specialized units include a Detective Bureau, a Mountain Bike Unit, a Training and Development Unit, and Community Oriented Policing Services. The department provides services to 33,000 Boston University students; 9,300 faculty and staff members; and campus visitors.
Authority
All BUPD police are sworn “special State Police officers” and have full arrest authority on Boston University property and adjoining streets. The authority of the BUPD is derived from chapter 22C, section 63 of the General Laws of Massachusetts.