Our Mission
To create a secure and enriching environment for all members of the campus community. Through a collaborative policing approach and guided by our student-focused, live-work-learn philosophy, we empower every individual to excel academically, professionally, and personally.
Our Vision
To create a ‘SAFER‘ community.
Our Values
Service ∞ Accountability ∞ Fairness ∞ Excellence ∞ Responsibility
‘SAFER‘
- Service- Ensuring the safety and security of the entire campus community through a collaborative policing approach.
- Accountability- Being accountable for actions and decisions while being flexible and adaptable to changing circumstances and emerging safety concerns.
- Fairness- Applying the law and policies with discretion and appropriateness, relating to all individuals impartially and equitably, regardless of their background, race, gender, ethnicity, or social status.
- Excellence- Upholding professionalism through a sense of commitment, perspective, and purposeful direction.
- Responsibility- Ensuring the effective use of resources to earn the trust and support of our community.
The values embodied by the University of Southern Maine Public Safety Department come from our commitment to community policing.
Our Goals
- Increase the visibility of the public safety team across all campuses.
- Enhance partnerships and collaboration in safety efforts.
- Cultivate a safety-aware campus community culture.
Community Policing
The men and women of USM Public Safety promote the philosophy of community policing which incorporates the principles of partnership, problem-solving, and proactive crime prevention. The members of our community play an important role in our success as a safe university within which to live, work, and learn.
The Department of Public Safety at the University of Southern Maine is a full-service law enforcement agency, staffed by Maine Criminal Justice Academy certified police officers and communications personnel; the training and authority of our officers are the same given to County, State, and Municipal officers. Our officers are responsible for providing police services on the Gorham and Portland campuses.
Our Police Officers and Communications personnel are augmented by Campus Safety Officers.
Members of the department are specialists, practicing the community policing and service philosophy with a deep commitment to being Student Focused Every Day.
To learn more about the Public Safety Department click HERE.
We are available to serve you at all times and are dispatched from our headquarters on the Gorham campus.
For non-emergencies, questions, or other assistance please call 207-780-5211.
For Emergencies, dialing 911 from a campus phone will connect you with USM Communication, dialing 911 from a cell phone will connect you with Cumberland County Communications on the Gorham Campus or Portland Communications on the Portland Campus.
Emergency call boxes are located throughout both the Gorham and Portland campuses, including in the parking garage.
For more information about the services Public Safety offers click HERE.
Safety Escort Service
To use this service please contact Public Safety Communications at 207-780-5211. A uniformed police officer or campus safety officer will pick you up at your present location and bring you to a different on-campus location such as your residence hall or to your vehicle. This service is available whenever public safety personnel are not on another call. If someone is unavailable, the dispatcher will advise you where to wait in a secure location and how long the delay may be.
Training
Public Safety offers trainings that cover Active Attackers, De-Escalation, and Stop the Bleed to the campus community. These trainings are designed to both inform and engage our community to help ensure the safety and security of all those that live, work, and visit campus.
To learn more about all of the services that Public Safety offers, click HERE.
USM Alerts
“USM Alert” is the University’s text and email notification system for emergency alerts, weather closings, and other critical information for the University community.
In the spirit of embracing our new Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals there are a number of initiatives the department will be adopting.
The Maine Legislature recently enacted a new law (Sec. A-1. Title 5 MRSA §4684-C) that is An Act to Prohibit Profiling and to Strengthen Civil Rights in Maine.
USM Public Safety has four department members who are designated as Civil Rights Officers by the Attorney General’s office.
Those officers are:
30×30 is a pledge to strive to increase the representation of women in law enforcement to 30% by 2030. Currently, women only make up 12% of sworn officers and 3% of police leadership in the U.S.
Health & Wellness
USM Public Safety is committed to the health and wellness of its officers. As part of the department’s health and wellness journey, Sgt Abbott has been tasked with creating a wellness plan and policy to help encourage department members to adopt habits that promote mind and body wellbeing.
The Department of Public Safety at USM is committed to serving and protecting the University of Southern Maine community. We understand that transparency and accountability build trust, and that trust is the cornerstone of the community policing philosophy that guides us.
We want you to know that we hold ourselves personally and professionally to the University’s service values of Respect & Care, Integrity, Equity, and Responsiveness. We are actively engaged in promoting agency and officer integrity through transparency and accountability, fair and equitable policing policies, continuous training and education of our staff, and active participation in our community’s programs and initiatives. We are committed to employing the best practices in our field, and to using the pillars set forth in the Final Report on the President’s Task Force on 21st-Century Policing to chart the way for progress and improvement in policing.
Our staff will treat every person with dignity, respect, and the utmost professionalism. We remain committed to listening, learning, and growing alongside our community as we know that true public safety comes from the commitment and actions of all.
Learn more HERE.
Clery Act
The University of Southern Maine complies with the Jeanne Clery Act which was signed into law in 1990. Per the Clery Act, the university publishes an Annual Security and Fire Safety Report and a 60-Day Campus Crime and Fire Log.
For the most frequently asked questions about Public Safety and Policing at the University, please see below. If you cannot find what you are looking for, please contact us directly.