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Here is information on the Police duties that was taken from 3 sources, all cited, two of which are on the UD website. In case it helps spread awareness information to clear up some of the confusion.

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Legal Authority, Jurisdictional Framework, and Public Safety Mandate of the University of Delaware Police Department (UDPD)

1. Statutory Foundation & Legal Authority

Under Delaware Code Title 14, Chapter 51, § 5104, the University of Delaware Police Department is established as a sworn, statewide law enforcement entity:

• Corporate Status and Appointment: The University is legally authorized to appoint a specialized number of police officers to preserve peace and good order. These officers are officially designated as the “University Police” and are supervised by a Director. (Citation: 14 Del. C. § 5104(b)(1))

• Statewide Law Enforcement Standing: The statute explicitly mandates that University Police officers are law-enforcement officers of the State and conservators of the peace. They possess the legal right to investigate and arrest individuals under federal laws, state laws, or applicable county and city ordinances. (Citation: 14 Del. C. § 5104(b)(2))

• Overlapping Jurisdiction: The legal authority granted to the UDPD does not reduce, restrict, or displace the jurisdiction of municipal, county, or state peace officers. Other law enforcement agencies retain their powers on university property. (Citation: 14 Del. C. § 5104(b)(3))

2. Operational Mandate & Day-to-Day Functions

As documented by official university policies, the department provides comprehensive police services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year:

• Primary Functions: The Patrol Division is structured to provide rapid responses to in-progress incidents, thoroughly document and investigate reports of criminal activity, and maintain a highly visible presence to act as a visual deterrent to crime. (Citation: UDPD Patrol Operations Policy)

• Community Integration: Officers are explicitly trained to navigate the unique pressures and needs of an educational environment. Beyond traditional law enforcement, their mission includes proactive education on safety, crime prevention, and community outreach. (Citation: UDPD Department Mission Statement)

• Specialized Assets: The department utilizes specialized units—including highly mobile Bicycle and Motorcycle Units (operating electric Zero motorcycles) and a nationally certified K-9 Unit trained in explosive detection and area searches—to patrol areas inaccessible to standard police vehicles. (Citation: UDPD Special & Auxiliary Operations)

3. Geography of Jurisdiction: Inlayed & Contiguous Streets

Because the University of Delaware features an open-campus design integrated directly into the fabric of the City of Newark, its property lines interface constantly with public roadways:

• Inlayed Streets: These are public municipal roads that cut directly through university property or reside entirely within campus sub-communities, such as portions of South Academy Street or Ray Street. (Citation: UDPD Patrol Sector Map & Operations Policy)

• Contiguous & Adjacent Streets: These are public streets that immediately border, run alongside, or touch university facilities, dormitories, sidewalks, or administrative plazas, such as sections of Main Street or Delaware Avenue. (Citation: UDPD Patrol Sector Map & Operations Policy)

• The Legal Application: Per state law, UDPD's statutory arrest and investigative powers are explicitly extended to these areas. The law dictates that their authority covers violations occurring "on any property or facilities... under the supervision, regulation or control of the University of Delaware or on contiguous streets and highways." If an infraction occurs on a public city road that cuts through or touches campus territory, UDPD has explicit legal authority to enforce the law. (Citation: 14 Del. C. § 5104(b)(2))

4. Jurisdictional Comparison: UDPD vs. Other Agencies

The interaction between UDPD and surrounding departments is governed by a framework of concurrent (overlapping) jurisdiction:

• University of Delaware Police Department (UDPD): Focuses its daily operations on campus property, inlayed streets, and contiguous boundaries. However, because its officers are sworn state law enforcement officials, their underlying legal authority to act extends to state boundaries and is not restricted solely to university property lines. (Citation: 14 Del. C. § 5104(b)(2))

• Newark Police Department (NPD): Holds primary municipal authority over the broader City of Newark. Because jurisdiction is concurrent, NPD shares equal authority with UDPD on all public city streets running through or bordering the campus. (Citation: 14 Del. C. § 5104(b)(3))

• Delaware State Police (DSP): Retains primary authority over state highways and unincorporated sectors of Delaware, while maintaining statewide jurisdiction to provide strategic backup, specialized resources, and mutual aid to both UDPD and NPD when requested. (Citation: Delaware State Mutual Aid Agreement Framework)

5. Emergency Mandate: Oath to Protect Against Violence and Street Takeovers

Every UDPD officer is bound by a constitutional oath to act as a "conservator of the peace" under Delaware law. This mandate strictly governs how the department responds to severe public safety threats, civil unrest, street takeovers, or hostile crowds on or around Main Street:

• The Obligation to Intervene: Their core legal obligation is to preserve "peace and good order." This means officers are duty-bound to intervene when public assembly crosses into violence, property destruction, vehicular chaos, or an immediate threat to life. Because Main Street is contiguous to and integrated with the university's boundaries, UDPD holds full authority to restore order there alongside city police. (Citation: 14 Del. C. § 5104(b)(2) & UDPD Patrol Operations Mandate)

• Joint Mutual Aid Responses: When street takeovers or high-crowd events escalate into danger, UDPD activates immediate mutual aid agreements. They coordinate a unified tactical response with the Newark Police Department (NPD) and the Delaware State Police (DSP). Dozens of cross-departmental officers deploy into a single command structure to contain perimeters, clear thoroughfares, and disperse hostile elements. (Citation: Delaware Police Chiefs' Council Mutual Aid Protocol)

• Immediate Tactical Dispersal: In moments of civil unrest, UDPD's Patrol and Specialized divisions pivot from community policing to active containment. Officers form physical lines to stop a crowd from expanding, block off streets to vehicles, and focus on locating and removing specific agitators who are actively inciting violence or carrying weapons. (Citation: UDPD Emergency Management & Tactical Deployment Plan)

• Mass Emergency Alerts (UD Alert): The oath to protect includes keeping the public out of harm’s way before they encounter danger. UDPD utilizes the UD Alert Emergency System to broadcast immediate text, email, and phone warnings to thousands of students and residents nearby, commanding them to avoid active crime scenes, mass disturbances, or unstable street takeovers. (Citation: UDPD Clery Act Compliance Policy)

• Proactive Preparedness: Grounded in their mission to maintain safety, UDPD utilizes targeted deployments—including high-visibility vehicle, motorcycle, bicycle, and K-9 patrols—during high-risk weekend nights or holiday block parties to disrupt or deter crowds before they can assemble into an uncontrollable or hazardous takeover. (Citation: UDPD Strategic Plan for Public Safety)