FAQs

DPSS was created in 2012 to unify police and security functions in Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint for the University of Michigan. Our departments include:

• Police departments for all three campuses
• Michigan Medicine Security Operations
• Housing Security
• University Security Services
• Emergency Management
• Physical Security
• Administrative Operations

UMPD works very closely with AAPD to ensure the safety and security of the U-M community. Our U-M police officers work to prevent and reduce crime as a full-service law enforcement agency and hold licenses from the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES). Buildings and properties owned by U-M are the primary focus of our enforcement, and our officers assist AAPD in patrolling nearby off-campus neighborhoods.

The Division of Public Safety and Security aims to keep our community well-informed on safety issues so they can make the best decisions regarding their safety.

U-M activates the emergency alert system for major emergencies such as an active violence situation, a tornado warning, or a hazardous materials spill. U-M does not activate the system for localized or suspicious incidents such as small fires or suspicious behavior. During an emergency, DPSS sends a mass notification to U-M students, faculty, and staff via:

• Text message (SMS)
• Voice message
• Email
• University of Michigan's digital displays
• University of Michigan or DPSS homepages
• Michigan App
• DPSS Public Safety App
• X

In addition, DPSS issues crime alerts whenever DPSS leadership determines a reported crime to be an ongoing or continuing threat to the university community. U-M issues these alerts via:

• Email automatically sent to all UM-Ann Arbor students, staff and faculty
• Email to subscribers
• DPSS website
• DPSS X page
• Flyers posted around campus

You can register anything with a serial number with UMPD. Find out how on our registration page.

Lost or worn registration stickers cannot be replaced. However, you can re-register your item to get new stickers. To do so, follow the instructions below:

1. Visit the property registration page
2. Delete the current registration for your item
3. Re-register your item

If you know the general area where you lost your item, contact the facility manager for that building (they may have a lost and found). After some time, lost items of value may be sent to UMPD or Michigan Medicine Security. For more information, visit our lost and found page.

Crime Alerts are issued to U-M students, faculty, staff and subscribers whenever DPSS leadership determines a reported crime to be an ongoing or continuing threat to the university community.

For statistics, you may also view our Daily Crime & Fire Log or the Annual Security & Fire Safety Report.

For emergencies, call 911. On campus, you may also use the blue-light emergency phones. Please visit our reporting page for information on reporting crimes that are not emergencies, including how to report online.

U-M follows state of Michigan laws and university ordinance prohibiting the distribution, possession and consumption of alcohol by anyone under 21. We also use evidence-based strategic intervention to prevent and reduce the harmful consequences of alcohol and drug use. For more information, please read our safety tips page and U-M’s Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) Policy.

Students receiving alcohol citations are subject to sanctions through the legal system and U-M’s student conduct process. Sanctions may include fines, counseling, education and community restitution. Students may be subject to suspension or expulsion for more severe violations or repeated offenses. Please review U-M’s Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) Policy for more details.

Residents of Michigan Housing are also subject to sanctions through their housing contract and the Community Living at Michigan standards.

​On November 6, 2018, Michigan voters approved Proposal 18-1, which legalized the possession and use of limited amounts of marijuana in non-public places for individuals 21 years and older. With changes in the state law, students, faculty and staff may wonder how the new legislation will impact the University of Michigan community.

Proposal 18-1:

• Allows the personal possession and use of 2.5 ounces or less of marijuana by individuals 21 years and older, except that not more than 15 grams of marijuana may be in the form of a concentrate. This provision does not apply to U-M, other public property, or K-12 schools.
• Allows a person 21 and older to possess, store, and process not more than 10 ounces of marijuana produced by plants cultivated on the premises and grow not more than 12 plants for personal use, provided that no more than 12 plants are possessed, cultivated, or processed on the premises at once. Plants cannot be visible to the public. Property owners and managers may prohibit marijuana on their property.
• Allows a person to give away or otherwise transfer without remuneration up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana, except that not more than 15 grams in concentrated form, to a person 21 years of age or older, as long as the transfer is not advertised or promoted to the public.
• Allows employers to refuse to hire job applicants or fire existing employees if they test positive for marijuana.
• Prohibits operating, navigating, or being in physical control of any motor vehicle while under the influence of marijuana.

No. The use of recreational or medicinal marijuana in any form, including edibles and extracts, will remain prohibited by university policy and federal law. Proposal 18-1 did not change U-M policies.

U-M must comply with federal laws regarding the possession, distribution and consumption of marijuana, which is still a Schedule I drug under the federal Controlled Substances Act of 1970. Federal law requires U-M to follow the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Amendments of 1989 and prevent students and employees from illegally using drugs or abusing alcohol on U-M property or at university events.

Yes. Like alcohol, tobacco, and other controlled substances that state law may permit, U-M policies restrict marijuana use. U-M will not permit it on university property. As a higher education institution, property owner, and recipient of federal funds, U-M has not only the authority but also the legal obligation to prohibit marijuana on campus and at university events. Students, faculty and staff who violate policies are subject to disciplinary proceedings.

Federal law prohibiting marijuana preempts state laws attempting to legalize the drug. The possession, use, and distribution of marijuana are still illegal and subject to prosecution under federal law, regardless of what state laws permit, and irrespective of whether the federal government chooses to actively enforce federal law in those states that have legalized recreational marijuana use. Importantly for U-M, receipt of federal funds in the form of student loans, grants and research support, among other things, is conditioned on compliance with federal drug law.

Yes. U-M policies and federal law prohibit anyone from using, possessing or distributing marijuana on U-M property or at any U-M events, including off-campus travel and events. Because U-M receives federal funding, it must take measures to prevent the illicit use of drugs and alcohol abuse on campus. Faculty, staff, students, and visitors must follow U-M's Drug-Free Workplace policy.

Proposal 18-1 changed several violations under state law from misdemeanors to civil infractions. Here is a summary of what changed

• A person who possesses or cultivates not more than the amount of marijuana allowed is responsible for a civil infraction. The punishment is a fine of not more than $100 and forfeiture of the marijuana.
• For a person who possesses or cultivates not more than twice the amount of marijuana, is responsible for a civil infraction; the punishments are as follows:
  • A civil infraction for a first violation may result in a fine of not more than $500 and forfeiture of the marijuana.
  • A second violation, a civil infraction, could result in a fine of not more than $1,000 and forfeiture of the marijuana.
  • A third or subsequent misdemeanor violation may result in a fine of not more than $2,000 and forfeiture of the marijuana.
• For a person who is under 21 years old and possesses no more than 2.5 ounces of marijuana or who cultivates not more than 12 plants, the punishments are as follows:
  • For a first violation, a civil infraction:
    • If the person is under 18 years old, the infraction may result in a fine of not more than $100 or community service, forfeiture of the marijuana, and completion of 4 hours of drug education or counseling.
    • If the person is at least 18 years old, the infraction may result in a fine of not more than $100 and forfeiture of the marijuana.
  • For a second violation, a civil infraction, the punishments are as follows:
    • If the person is less than 18 years old, the violation may result in a fine of not more than $500 or community service, forfeiture of the marijuana, and completion of 8 hours of drug education or counseling.
    • If the person is at least 18 years old, the violation may result in a fine of not more than $500 and forfeiture of the marijuana.
• A person who possesses or cultivates more than twice the amount of marijuana allowed shall be responsible for a misdemeanor, but is not subject to imprisonment unless the violation is habitual, willful, and for a commercial purpose or the violation involved violence.

The University of Michigan does not tolerate violence of any type, including sexual violence, intimate partner violence or stalking. We encourage survivors to report their experiences to law enforcement and U-M. There are also confidential resources available for survivors, including the Sexual Assault, Prevention, and Awareness Center and Counseling and Psychological Services. For further assistance and information, please review our sexual assault awareness page and the Our Community Matters resource guide.

Please review U-M’s Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities.

Student Legal Services can also advise you on your legal rights and represent you if necessary. Please visit their website for more information about consultations and any limitations.

The University of Michigan Police Department (UMPD) is a full-service law enforcement agency licensed by the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES). Officers have full authority to investigate, search, arrest and use reasonable force, if necessary, to protect people and property under Michigan law and the U-M Regents' Ordinance.

UMPD has a comprehensive use-of-force policy; officers must complete training before a weapon is issued successfully. UMPD trains its officers to use chemical spray, batons, Tasers, and firearms. In general, officers may use force on subjects who resist arrest or threaten serious harm to themselves or others.

For more information on UMPD's deployment of Tasers, visit our U-M Taser Deployment FAQs page.

U-M prohibits possessing and using firearms, dangerous weapons, and knives on its property, including concealed carry. Our weapons on campus safety tips page provides exceptions and other information regarding firearms on campus.

The university prohibits skateboards, roller skates, and roller blades in parking structures.

When using a bicycle, skateboards, roller skates and roller blades, or a segway, electric scooter, hoverboard/self-balancing scooter, the operation must be done so in a safe manner, not posing a threat of harm to pedestrians or damage to Unviersity property, including, but not limited to, failing to yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian, maintaining a safe distance from pedestrians or other road or sidewalk users, operating such vehicles at an unsafe speed, and performing tricks or stunts.

The university prohibits motorbikes and other motor vehicles from being operated on the Diag.

For more information, please refer to the Regents’ Ordinance.

To ensure your safety and security, U-M offers a variety of free and low-cost after-hours transit options around campus and to nearby locations. For more information, please visit Logistics, Transportation, and Parking.

Yes, properly leashed animals are allowed on campus. However, U-M allows only service animals in its buildings or vehicles.

For more details, see the Regents’ Ordinance.