A message from Timothy Farwell, Interim Director of Public Safety:
At the University of Southern Maine, learning takes place not only in the classroom, but all over campus, and we in the Department of Public Safety believe that we have some important lessons to offer.
We are a modern, full-service police agency, whose commitment goes beyond the typical definition of police work. Every one of the men and women who wear the badge is not only a fully-trained police professional but also an educator. We believe the best way to protect those we serve is to teach them how to protect themselves.
Some lessons are simple (keep doors and windows locked, walk with groups after dark, be aware of your surroundings, etc.) and others are not. The expectation is that these lessons will not only keep our students safer on campus but will help us achieve our ultimate goal of cultivating a generation of responsible, safety-conscious citizens. Our success to date is one of the reasons that USM holds a reputation as one of the safest University campuses in the country.
We teach lessons in personal safety through programs and presentations in classrooms, residence halls, at community events, and through the information that is available in a variety of pamphlets and on our website. Our people reinforce these lessons every day as they walk, bike, and drive across campus, interacting with students, faculty, staff and visitors, making themselves a highly visible and approachable presence.
We are constantly working to ensure that our department is a model of proactive Community Oriented Policing that can be emulated by universities and police in small and mid-sized communities across the nation and around the world.
Our continued success will depend largely upon our ability to work with the university community, so we are always seeking input from students, faculty, staff and visitors. If you have comments, complaints, or ideas you would like to share, please feel free to email me at timothy.farwell@maine.edu, call our offices at 207-780-5211, or visit my office in the Public Safety Building.
– Timothy Farwell, Interim Chief of Police & Director of Public Safety