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Top 6 in 6: A Look at UTPD Changes

Top 6 in 6The UT Police Department has introduced changes to improve safety on campus and better serve the Volunteer community in the last six years.

Here’s a look at some of those changes, instituted after the arrival of Troy Lane, associate vice chancellor for public safety and chief of police:

  • New canine program. The team includes three explosive ordnance detection dogs who sweep campus venues prior to concerts, sporting events and other large-scale activities. A fourth canine—an apprehension and drug detection dog—will be added this summer.
  • Veterans Crisis Intervention Team. UTPD has trained its first group of officers in the program, which is designed to identify and assist student veterans in crisis. Team members are themselves military veterans.
  • Introduction of body cameras for officers that gives UTPD a more efficient way to review and resolve complaints against officers. All video evidence also has been moved to cloud storage.
  • Chief Troy Lane

    Chief Troy Lane

    Enhanced UTPD response to violence against women. Lane and several UTPD officers have attended the International Association of Chiefs of Police Institute on Violence Against Women. As a result, the officers have a better grasp of how to serve victims of trauma and how to center their investigation on the care of those victims. Lane also consulted with the Department of Justice Office of Violence Against Women to establish the first ever curriculum for specific training in sexual assault response for college campuses.

  • Placed full-time investigator on FBI Cybercrimes Task Force: With the increase in internet crimes, participating in the task force gives UTPD in-house expertise and the ability to respond to and resolve the crimes quickly.
  • Sent three UTPD officers to FBI National Academy: Involvement exposes UTPD to the latest and best in leadership training and provides additional resources through networking with fellow participants.

UTPD’s efforts have extended beyond campus to partners around the country. In fall 2017, 25 officers traveled south to help the University of Florida with game-day security during Florida’s recovery efforts after Hurricane Irma.

Lane, who celebrates six years at UT on June 25, was named the 2016 Director of the Year by the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Association. He also was elected to Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police Board of Directors that year.