Learning Objectives
Students should have an understanding of the development of campus police:
- How UW monitored campus before the establishment of a police force.
- Why the university hired and formed a police department.
- The powers, mission, and jurisdiction of campus police.
Podcast Questions:
Why does the training of campus police matter? (Campus police are trained like regular police, which is an important part of understanding the development of campus policing.)
Explain the transformation of campus policing from the 1800s through the 1960s. What are some of the key moments in the transformation of policing on campus and why were these moments and events important?
How different are campus police from regular police officers? A few topics or points worth noting/discussing:
- The perception that campus police are “nicer.”
- That campus police cite 75% of people who are not students.
- That UW police officers utilized the same equipment and tactics as regular police officers.
Sloan mentions that campus policing is a big ball of contradictions. Using evidence from the origins of campus policing/surveilling in the 1800s to the establishment of a deputized and formal police force in the 1960s, explain what you think Sloan means.
Primary Sources:
Campus law enforcement statistics (2011-12): Read Report Here
Campus law enforcement statistics (2021-22): Read Report Here
University of Wisconsin – Madison Police Crime Data: View Data Here
The New York Times Article “Greece Tries Stationing Police on Campus, and Students Fight Back:” Read Article Here
The Guardian Article “Campus police: different badges, different uniforms, but same deadly force:” Read Article Here
Recommended Readings:
Public History Project Blog “The Hammersley Method: The History of Mistrust between the UW–Madison Community and the UW–Madison Police Department.” Read Blog Post Here
Yalile Suriel, Grace Watkins, Jude Paul Matias Dizon, John J. Sloan III, “Introduction: A fresh perspective on campus policing in America,” in Cops on Campus: Rethinking Safety and Confronting Police Violence, ed. Yalile Suriel, Grace Watkins, Jude Paul Matias Dizon, John J Sloan III (Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press, 2024), ix-xxviii. Read Book Here
Sloan, John J. “Why universities turn to the police to end student protests − and why that can spiral out of control.” The Conversation, May 1, 2024. https://theconversation.com/why-universities-turn-to-the-police-to-end-student-protests-and-why-that-can-spiral-out-of-control-229158
Balto, Simon Ezra. “Occupied territory”: police repression and black resistance in postwar Milwaukee, 1950–1968.” The Journal of African American History 98, no. 2 (2013): 229-252. Read Article Here
Other Resources:
Police and Policing at UW–Madison Teaching Guide: View Teaching Guide Here
Primary Source Citations
Reaves, Brian A. Campus law enforcement, 2011-12. US Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2015. https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/cle1112.pdf
Davis, Elizabeth. Campus Law Enforcement Agencies Serving 4-year Institutions, 2021-2022. US Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2024. https://bjs.ojp.gov/document/cleas4i2122st.pdf
University of Wisconsin – Madison Police Department Equity Dashboard. https://uwpd.wisc.edu/equity-dashboard/#overview
Gambino, Lauren., & Felton, Ryan. “Campus police: different badges, different uniforms, but same deadly force.” The Guardian, July 31 (2015). https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jul/31/campus-police-officers-perceptions-samuel-dubose-shooting
Kitsantonis, Niki. ” Greece Tries Stationing Police on Campus, and Students Fight Back.” The New York Times, October 9 (2022). https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/09/world/europe/greece-universities-campus-police.html