Penn State University Police and Public Safety

What Penn State University Police and Public Safety does

Penn State University Police and Public Safety (UPPS) is the full-service sworn police agency of The Pennsylvania State University, established in 1926 (originally as Campus Patrol) and operating under Section 2416.1 of the Pennsylvania Administrative Code of 1929. Headquartered at 8 University Drive, University Support Building 1, Suite 101, University Park, PA, UPPS protects and serves more than 100,000 students, employees, and visitors across 22 campuses throughout Pennsylvania — including the University Park flagship and 21 Commonwealth Campuses organized into Western and Eastern districts, plus dedicated police at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Dickinson Law School. The department is led by Associate Vice President and Chief of Police and Public Safety Wesley Sheets, supported by an Executive Deputy Chief, four Deputy Chiefs (Western District, Eastern District, Headquarters, University Park), and functional directors for Emergency Management, Physical Security, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

The department's core technology stack centers on the CCURE 9000 electronic access control platform and Victor video surveillance management system, supplemented by over 90 public emergency phone towers (blue light phones), 350+ elevator emergency phones, and 40+ parking deck emergency phones at University Park. ServiceNow is used for Physical Security workflow intake, and reCAPTCHA protects public-facing crime reporting forms. Specialized operational units include the Armed Public Safety Officers (APSO) protecting Applied Research Laboratory and Department of Defense facilities, the Bike Patrol Unit, the K9 Unit (two German Shepherds trained on 20+ explosive varieties), the Drone Unit, the Hazardous Device Unit (two bomb robots), the Criminal Investigations Unit, the Centre County Tactical Response Team (joint with five other agencies), the Special Events Unit, the Community Oriented Policing Unit, and the Behavioral Threat Management Team.

The business model is non-commercial: UPPS is funded entirely through Penn State University operating appropriations and state appropriations, and all services are provided free of charge to students, employees, and visitors. Go-to-market is direct service delivery across the 22-campus footprint, with community engagement via free educational programs, the PSUAlert emergency notification system, Annual Security Reports (Clery Act compliance), and online crime reporting. The department is not an investable entity — it is a government state entity within a public university system with no external ownership, no shareholders, and no commercial revenue streams.

Name

Penn State University Police and Public Safety

Legal name

The Pennsylvania State University

Website

https://police.psu.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1926

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

UPPS is the sworn university police agency of Penn State, providing law enforcement, emergency management, physical security (CCURE 9000, Victor video surveillance), and community education across 22 Pennsylvania campuses serving 100,000+ students, employees, and visitors, funded entirely by university appropriations with no commercial revenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Campus Law Enforcement

NAICS

Police Protection (922120), Police Protection (92212), Security Guards and Patrol Services (561612), Security Systems Services (except Locksmiths) (561621), Fire Protection (922160)

SIC

Services-Detective, Guard & Armored Car Services (7381), Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Emergency Notification & Mass Communication Systems (Alerts, PA, Sirens) (EDAEACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fire & Life Safety Systems (Alarms, Sprinklers, Extinguishers, Inspections) (EDAEACAF), Security Training & Compliance (Guard Training, SOPs, Drills) (BPABAMAN), Emergency Dispatch Center Services (PSAP/911 Support, Private Dispatch) (BPAKAFAJ), Facility Emergency Response Plans (ERP) & Integrated Contingency Plans (ICP) (EUAHALAB)

Keywords

• Campus law enforcement
• Public safety services
• Emergency management
• Physical security systems
• Community policing

Headquarters

HQ city

University Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices24 records

Markets served

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. University Funding: UPPS is a university police department funded through Penn State University operating budgets and public funding. Services are provided free of charge to students, employees, and visitors. The department does not generate commercial revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Penn State University Police and Public Safety (UPPS) is a full-service campus law enforcement and public safety agency serving 22 Penn State campuses across Pennsylvania. UPPS delivers uniformed patrol, criminal investigations, K9/drone/bike units, hazardous device response, behavioral threat management, access control (CCURE 9000), video surveillance (Victor), and emergency notification (PSUAlert). The agency also operates community-oriented programs including Safe Walk, child car seat checks, the Blue Envelope program, MedReturn boxes, online crime reporting, and public safety education.

Product overview

Penn State University Police and Public Safety (UPPS) is a full-service police agency providing comprehensive public safety services across 22 campuses in Pennsylvania. The organization operates as a unified law enforcement unit with specialized divisions including Armed Public Safety Officers, Bike Patrol, Criminal Investigations, Drone Unit, Hazardous Device Unit, K9 Unit, and Special Events Unit. Core operational platforms include CCURE 9000 for access control management and Victor Video Surveillance for camera monitoring. Safety services encompass community education programs (active attacker response, alcohol/drug awareness, hazing prevention), emergency notification via PSUAlert, physical security systems (card access, alarms, emergency phones), victim services, and specialized units for behavioral threat management and tactical response. The department also provides support services including Safe Walk, MedReturn Box, and Child Car Seat Safety Checks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Uniformed Law Enforcement Patrol
• Criminal Investigations Unit
• Special Operations Units (K9, Drone, Bike, Hazardous Device)
• Behavioural Threat Management
• Emergency Management Services
• Physical Security Services (Access Control & Video Surveillance)
• PSUAlert Emergency Notification
• Online Crime Reporting
• Safe Walk Service
• Community Safety Education and Outreach
• Special Events Security
• Tactical and Regional Specialty Response

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Tyco Integrated Security/Johnson Controls (JCI)coreTechnology or IntegrationPre-qualified security integrator providing security system appliances, performing final terminations, programming, and system commissioning for electronic security systems including access control and video surveillance. Account manager Dustin Cozad manages the Penn State account from State College, PA location.
• Security 101coreTechnology or IntegrationPre-qualified security integrator certified to install and program SoftwareHouse and American Dynamics equipment at Penn State. Account manager Erik Trembulak based in Pittsburgh, PA.
• Nextgen SecuredcoreTechnology or IntegrationPre-qualified security integrator certified to install and program security systems at Penn State. Senior Account Manager Randy Trego based in Exton, PA.
• Siemens Industry, Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationPre-qualified security integrator with dedicated account executives for different Penn State campus regions. Rohan Beasley covers Western PA campuses and Tom Reino covers Eastern PA campuses. Certified to install and program SoftwareHouse and American Dynamics equipment.
• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCriminal Investigations Unit partners with FBI and other federal agencies for complex and cross-jurisdictional cases including large-scale fraud, internet crimes, and narcotics operations. Collaboration facilitates intelligence sharing and coordinated investigative responses.
• Centre County Tactical Response Team (CCTRT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative unit made up of 15 officers from six law enforcement agencies throughout Centre County, including three University Police officers. Dedicated to advanced preparation and tactical response for high-risk situations.
• Philadelphia Police Department Bomb Disposal UnitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHazardous Device Unit collaborates with Philadelphia Police Department Bomb Disposal Unit for ongoing training and joint simulation exercises. Members also undergo training at FBI Hazardous Devices School in Huntsville, Alabama.
• State and Local Law Enforcement AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCriminal Investigations Unit regularly partners with various law enforcement departments and specialized task forces for comprehensive coverage of complex and cross-jurisdictional cases. Mutual aid agreements exist with all surrounding police agencies.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• UCLA Police Department: Sworn university police department operating across a large research university campus, with K9, bike patrol, and emergency notification — comparable in scale and sworn-officer mandate.
• Ohio State University Department of Public Safety: Large Big Ten university police and public safety agency with sworn officers, K9, bike patrol, and emergency management across multiple campuses — directly comparable to UPPS in scope, structure, and mission.
• NYU Department of Public Safety: Large private university public safety operation with patrol, emergency management, and access control across multiple urban campuses — comparable in multi-campus breadth and integrated security stack.
• Michigan State University Police and Public Safety: Public university police agency with sworn officers and full law enforcement authority, serving a multi-campus system with Clery Act compliance and specialized response units — closely analogous to UPPS.
• Texas A&M University Police Department: Sworn university police force serving a multi-campus system with specialized units and large event operations — closely comparable in scope and multi-campus policing model.
• University of Florida Police Department: Large public university police agency providing sworn law enforcement, criminal investigations, and emergency management at a major SEC campus — comparable structural and operational profile to UPPS.
• University of Michigan Division of Public Safety & Security: Sworn university police department providing patrol, criminal investigation, and Clery compliance for a large Big Ten research university — directly comparable operating model and regulatory profile to UPPS.

Others

• Genetec: Provider of unified security platforms (access control, video management, intrusion) used by many university police departments — adjacent ecosystem participant to UPPS's CCURE/Victor stack.

Broad incumbents

• Allied Universal: Largest private security services provider in North America, offering contract guard, patrol, and integrated security — overlaps with UPPS on patrol/guard functions but serves a broader commercial customer base.
• Johnson Controls (Tyco Integrated Security): Pre-qualified security systems integrator for UPPS and a global incumbent in access control, video surveillance, and integrated security — comparable as a provider of the underlying CCURE/Victor technology stack.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Penn-State-University-Police-and-Public-Safety-163940570324015
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pennstatepolice

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Penn State University Police and Public Safety