Starting next year, the OUPD Liaison Office will become a full-time resource.

The office, located on the first floor of Vandenberg Hall, provides new opportunities for Oakland students to utilize the services of the university’s police department. They will also offer some new resources catered directly to the needs of residents.

“The safety of Oakland University is a community responsibility and one goal I have as the chief of the police department is to create partnerships with OU students, staff and faculty,” Mark Gordon, Oakland University Police Department Chief, said.

The office is currently staffed part-time by a rotating cycle of OUPD officers for about ten to twelve hours a week.

Starting in the fall, there will be one dedicated officer filling in the position full-time. During the office hours, students can drop in to become more familiar with OUPD and the services they offer, ask questions or report an incident that occurred in the residence halls.

“The primary responsibility of the liaison position will be to build community relationships,” Gordon said. “Students can stop by and just get to know the liaison officer so he becomes a familiar face on campus.”

The liaison officer will be exclusively available to respond to criminal incidents in the residence halls, as well as to investigate all criminal complaints associated with Oakland University students living on campus. They will also promote educational presentations and arrange for the appropriate police staff to present information on various topics throughout the school year.

The liaison officer is fully sworn in, as well as the rest of the Oakland University Police Department. This means that they are just as effective as the Rochester or Auburn Hills police departments but are here to serve our campus. The liaison officer will show up at many student activities and events, and be there to support student life as a whole.

“The liaison officer will have the flexibility to initiate programs and partner with student groups to further promote safety and security of students and the entire community,” Gordon said. “It’s an open-ended project, it’s here to provide services directly to Oakland Residents and we’re always open to suggestions.”

OUPD offers all of the services of a normal police station and more to cater directly to the Oakland University student population.

Creating a functional liaison office provides students with an accessible resource so that they can ask questions, get support and ultimately feel safe during their time here on campus.

For more information on the liaison office and OUPD, visit oupolice.com.