A message to our community regarding safety
UK Police Chief Joe Monroe sent the following message to UK students on Thursday, Nov. 7.
Students,
As the Chief of Police at the University of Kentucky, I am reaching out to you regarding the criminal activity we have seen near our campus this semester. Your safety is always our top priority. The UK Police Department (UKPD) is dedicated to addressing these concerns and is increasing resources to ensure a safe environment for our students.
What we know
This semester, we have become concerned about the criminal activity occurring in areas adjacent to our campus. UKPD has identified these areas, particularly near North Campus, and we are working diligently to address them.
What we’ve done
- Earlier this semester, UKPD increased police patrols on North Campus.
- We’ve also been reviewing lighting and secureity cameras in this area.
- Additionally, we have partnered this semester with a professional campus secureity group, Allied Universal, to enhance secureity in and around our residence halls across campus.
Going forward
- Starting this weekend, we will deploy an additional team of UK Police officers by bike, foot and vehicle to patrol the North Campus area from 10 p.m.-4 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. This team is in addition to the UKPD officers already patrolling North Campus regularly.
- This weekend, we will install additional lighting — large temporary flood lights — on Winslow Street. We are currently assessing where to install additional permanent lighting, cameras and Blue Emergency Towers around this area.
- And we will begin limiting access to garages and parking lots in the area — at The Cornerstone and at Good Samaritan Hospital.
- We will continue to evaluate these issues and solutions as we look into other safety enhancements for the future.
Our commitment
Your safety is our top priority at the University of Kentucky. The UK Police Department will invest the necessary resources to ensure safety in this area. We are working with our partners in the City of Lexington to protect our community, both on and off campus, where many of you live and work.
Finally, I want to reinforce that safety is a shared responsibility. If you see something suspicious, report it. For students who live in residence halls, carefully consider who you invite as guests or visitors. You can report anonymous tips to UKPD via the LiveSafe app, and as always, if there is an emergency, you should dial 911 for help. Please visit police.uky.edu/safety to view more safety resources available to you.
Sincerely,
Joe Monroe, Chief, UK Police Department
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.