The Wayne State University Police Department (WSUPD) marked its 50th anniversary as a recognized law enforcement agency with a celebration at its 6050 Cass Ave. headquarters. More than 250 guests participated in the July 15 event, which featured speakers representing various levels of law enforcement, current and retired WSUPD officers, government officials, and community members.
WSUPD, comprised of 60 police officers, was formed in 1966 and has been providing a full range of professional police services. In 2009, the university expanded the police department's coverage area to include all crime calls in a four-square-mile area including the main campus, medical school campus and the entire Midtown Detroit area.
Wayne State's police officers are fully licensed through the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES), are sworn Peace Officers commissioned under State law, and are commissioned as Detroit Police Officers. Each police officer has earned a bachelor's degree, and several have achieved advanced degrees.
The department provides a full range of 24-7 professional police services to both WSU's main and medical center campuses as well as the surrounding Midtown neighborhood, with an average emergency response time of 90 seconds.
Under the leadership of Police Chief Anthony Holt, a 39-year veteran of the force, community policing, partnerships and collaborations have been a major focus for the department.
"As a police department, we take a community-oriented approach to policing," Holt said. "We value our role in the community and understand that our relationships must be strong and sincere. In this regard, Wayne State's police department has a long track record of providing professional, fair and impartial law enforcement service to our university community and the Midtown area."
Midtown Detroit has experienced a significant decrease in crime - serious crimes such as homicides and assaults are down 52 percent since 2008. At the heart of this success is WSUPD. In 2009, Holt implemented CompStat, a data-driven crime-reduction strategy. On a biweekly basis, law enforcement agencies and community partners come together and focus on crime hot spots. Through this collaborative effort and technology, they can effectively target specific areas where crimes are being committed.
Holt attributes the overall success of WSUPD to the efforts of each police officer, the collaborative involvement of the community and Wayne State's leadership.
"The university's leaders have fully supported our police department, and have provided the resources that are required to deliver effective community policing," Holt said. "Without their continuing support, our achievements would not have been possible."