About Us
The primary goal of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Police Department is to provide a safe campus environment conducive to personal growth and educational development.
Mission Statement
Fair and Impartial Policing
UW Oshkosh police officers shall not consider race, color, ethnicity, national origin, economic status, sexual orientation, gender expression, age, or religion in carrying out law enforcement activities except when locally relevant information links a person or people of certain characteristics/status, as listed above, to a specific unlawful incident, or to specific unlawful incidents, criminal patterns, or schemes.
Bias based profiling by our police members is prohibited and is defined as the following: police initiated action that relies upon common traits associated with belonging to certain groups; such as race, color, ethnicity, national origin, economic status, sexual orientation, gender expression, age, religion, disability, political affiliation, cultural group or any other identifiable characteristic of an individual rather than the behavior of the individual, or information that leads police to a particular individual who has been identified as being engaged in or having been engaged in criminal activity. Police Officers may use common traits as listed above in selecting whom to stop, when a person matches the specific description of an individual who is suspected in being involved in criminal activity.
Chris Tarmann, Chief of Police
Operations
The UW Oshkosh Police Department’s highly trained, educated and professional state police officers patrol campus 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our police officers patrol the campus on foot, on bicycle and in marked and unmarked police vehicles. Sergeants, Officers and Community Service Officers are assigned a geographic area to which they are responsible for building relationships with community members, identifying trends, developing proactive policing strategies and responding to the needs within their areas.
Duties of the police officers include responding to calls for service, patrolling campus, completing building and property checks, conducting criminal investigations, assisting local law enforcement, presenting safety information to our campus community and attending events held on campus. Officers enforce all State of Wisconsin laws and administrative rules of the University of Wisconsin System.
Through a partnership with the Department of Residence Life, the UW Oshkosh Police Department operates the Community Service Officer (CSO) program, which trains student employees who assist in maintaining campus safety. The CSOs work in a variety of different roles to include; patrol, security stations at residence halls, driving for UWO Go, event security and much more.
Police & Safety Personnel
The UW Oshkosh Police Department employs the following personnel:
Police
- Sworn Personnel
- Chief of Police
- Police Lieutenant (specializing in Event and Emergency Management)
- Patrol Sergeants x 2
- Police Officers (seven full-time)
- Non-Sworn Personnel
- Dispatchers x 2
The UW Oshkosh Police Department also employs a varying number of part-time student employees. These employees are Dispatchers and Community Service Officers.
Department Training
Part of the mission of the UW Oshkosh Police Department is to train and prepare our personnel to provide exceptional customer care to our community members as we respond to and manage daily tasks and incidents.
When personnel are hired, they complete our 15-week Police Training Officer (PTO) program. During this phase, new officers are partnered with multiple experienced patrol officers who support their development and introduce them to our mission, values, and policing responsibilities.
Training does not stop after PTO. Instead, officers participate in a progressive, multi-year training process designed to build competence, confidence, and judgment over time. While all listed training is required, the timing and sequencing may vary based on operational needs, training availability, and individual development.
Foundational & Early Career Training
Typically completed during an officer’s initial period of employment
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ALERRT Level I – Active Shooter Response
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ICAT (Integrating Communications & Tactics)
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Trauma-Informed Care
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Implicit Bias / Fair & Impartial Policing
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SAFE (Students and Faculty for Equality)
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Law Enforcement Customer Service
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CPR & AED
Developing & Advanced Training
Introduced as officers gain experience and operational exposure
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Crisis Intervention Training
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Crowd Management Training
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Interview & Investigations Training
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ALERRT Level II / Active Attack Integrated Response
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Advanced Customer Service
Quarterly In-Service Training
All personnel participate in quarterly in-service training (roughly 4 hours) focused on skill development, updates, and community engagement. These sessions also include community stakeholders who share their perspectives, cultural knowledge, and organizational missions.
Quarterly training topics include:
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Cultural Competency
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Customer Service
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Active Threat Updates
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Emergency Communications
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ICAT, Crisis Intervention, & Mental Health Updates
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Defensive & Arrest Tactics
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Stop the Bleed
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Firearms
This list is not exhaustive but reflects our core training priorities. We believe transparency in training helps ensure our community can be confident that we are committed to thoughtful, well-prepared, and community-centered policing.
Supervisory Training
In addition to required training for all personnel, officers hired or promoted into supervisory roles receive focused leadership development that includes topics like:
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Core Values
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Citizen Complaints
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Personnel Accountability
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Evaluation & Personnel Management
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Leading Community & Relational Policing