Butler Police Patrols

Vehicle Patrols

The university police enhance safety by patrolling in marked police cars on campus and the surrounding neighborhood. University Police Officers have direct communication with the Butler operations center and Department of Public Safety Communications. Officers remain proactive in assisting students, faculty, staff, and visitors with directions and assistance while on patrol.

Students can also request a safety escort on campus from dusk till dawn, for no more than 2 individuals, by calling our 24-hour dispatch center at 317-940-BUPD or using a cell phone at 317-940-9396. The escort will be provided by one of our officers on patrol as available.

Bicycle Patrols

The Bicycle Patrol Unit began in 1993 to address several concerns of the Butler community:

  • To create the ability to quickly and efficiently patrol and respond to areas of the campus that are inaccessible to vehicles, but are too large for traditional foot patrols. Holcomb Gardens, the intramural fields, University Terrace Apartments and the mall areas are much better served by bike patrols.
  • To create a more approachable police officer. Bike patrol officers are assigned specifically to areas where there are greater concentrations of citizens on foot. This puts them closer to the public and allows them to listen to citizen concerns and act directly on those concerns. This also allows the officers to be more driven by the needs of the community rather than only responding to calls for service.
  • To make the police more visible, both to deter crime and enhance the accessibility of officers.
  • To better enforce bicycle laws, monitor road conditions for bicyclists, promote bike safety, encourage crime prevention practices and promote officer fitness.
  • To provide crime prevention and safety information to local bike shops. It also provides this information to the Butler community and assists Parking Services in registering bicycles on campus.

Extra patrols

Request a Home Check in the Butler-Tarkington Area

The university police will conduct vacant home checks in the Butler-Tarkington area for students, faculty and staff while you are on vacation or gone for business. These checks are random and offered as a courtesy to increase police visibility at your residence. Although we can never guarantee around the clock protection, this service offers you a “peace of mind” while away.

Please fill out our Extra Patrol Request form and submit it to the University Police Department.