Responding to Law Enforcement on UGA Property
UGA faculty, staff, and students should never obstruct or interfere with any officer conducting law enforcement activities on UGA property.
Law enforcement on the University of Georgia’s main campus is primarily the responsibility of the UGA Police Department (UGAPD), but outside (non-UGAPD) law enforcement officers–federal, state, or local–sometimes have reason to conduct law enforcement or other activities on UGA property. UGAPD serves as the University’s primary liaison with outside law enforcement agencies. The University prefers that outside law enforcement agencies coordinate with UGAPD to establish the purpose of their activities on campus and to promote cooperation and campus safety, but this does not always happen.
Outside law enforcement agencies are generally permitted to conduct activities in publicly accessible areas. If an outside law enforcement officer seeks to enter a non-publicly accessible area (defined below*) unaccompanied by UGAPD or makes a request for University records, employees may do the following in a polite, calm, and professional manner:
- Ask for the officer’s name, identification number, agency affiliation, and nature of the request, and identify yourself if requested.
- Inform the officer that based on UGA guidance, you are contacting UGAPD or—in the case of a request for records—the UGA Office of Legal Affairs (OLA) to assist with the officer’s request (contact information below). You may also offer to connect the officer directly with UGAPD and/or OLA to facilitate the officer’s request.
- If the officer presents you with legal documents directed to UGA (such as a warrant or subpoena), state that you are not authorized by UGA to accept service of legal documents on behalf of the University and refer the officer to OLA.
- State that you are not authorized to provide information about students or employees or to give permission to access non-publicly accessible areas (except in cases of emergencies or threats to health and safety).
If an officer insists on carrying out enforcement activities before you can consult with UGAPD or OLA, you should not interfere, but you should still contact UGAPD or OLA. Without obstructing or interfering with the officer’s activities, you may observe and take notes. While video recording is generally permissible, the University does not recommend it.
When dealing with law enforcement on UGA property, you should never do any of the following:
- Obstruct or interfere with an officer’s enforcement action or do anything to put yourself or others in danger.
- Accept service of any document on behalf of the University without approval from UGAPD or OLA. (If an officer insists on handing you a document, you may physically receive the document while making clear that you are not authorized to accept or waive service on behalf of the University.)
- Recommend that an employee or student flee, hide, or evade a law enforcement officer or assist any employee or student in doing so.
- Destroy or attempt to hide documents or advise anyone else to do so.
- Provide false information.
Contact Information:
University of Georgia Police Department: (706) 542-2200
Office of Legal Affairs: (706) 542-0006 (monitored Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.)
* Non-Publicly Accessible Areas: For purposes of this guidance, non-public areas of UGA’s campuses include areas where access to the public is prohibited or limited. Examples include buildings that can only be accessed with a UGA-issued ID card, buildings or spaces with locked doors and/or monitored entryways, UGA student housing, classrooms, and other operational spaces not generally open to the public.
Note: The University cannot advise faculty, staff, or students regarding personal legal matters.
