Who We Are
The University of Colorado Boulder Police Department is a full-service, nationally accredited police agency providing community-based public safety services to a diverse community of approximately 38,000 students and 12,000 faculty and staff members. CUPD operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year long. Every year the department responds to approximately 20,000 calls for service. Patrolling the campus by foot, bicycle, motorcycle, and vehicle, the CU Boulder police work diligently with the university community and surrounding agencies to ensure a prompt and coordinated law enforcement response.
CU Boulder police officers are authorized to make arrests, issue summonses/citations and execute arrest and search warrants. Criminal cases investigated by the CUPD are sent directly to state and municipal prosecutorial authorities for review and filing of charges.
Department History
The University of Colorado Boulder Police Department (CUPD) was established in September 1949 by CU President Robert Stearns following two campus murders during the preceding year. The department began with Chief Richard Stratton, three patrol officers and a daytime traffic officer. Under Chief John Towle, who succeeded Stratton in 1970, CUPD expanded operations by creating an investigations bureau and crime prevention unit and assuming responsibility for investigating all crimes on campus.
Over the decades, CUPD continued to grow alongside the university community. In the 1980s, officers managed large-scale demonstrations connected to anti-apartheid protests. During the 1990s, Chief Jim Fadenrecht expanded community engagement efforts, launched the Community Service Aide program and oversaw the department’s move to its current headquarters at 1050 Regent Drive. Melissa Zak later became Boulder County’s first female chief of police and emphasized infrastructure and campus safety initiatives. Chief Ken Koch continued advancing professional standards and campus partnerships, while Chief Doreen Jokerst led the department through its achievement of international accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) and helped establish the Community Oversight Review Board in 2020.
In 2024, CUPD celebrated its 75th anniversary, marking decades of service, innovation and commitment to the safety of the CU Boulder community. Chief Ashley Griffin became the new chief of police in 2025 and now leads the department with community-oriented policing values, emphasizing prevention, transparency and respectful engagement.
Annual Security and Fire Safety Report
The Annual Security & Fire Safety Report is a report published annually by October 1, outlining our institutions most recent three years’ worth of statistics that were reported on-campus, in off-campus buildings or on property owned or controlled by the University, on public property within or immediately adjacent to campus, and those within the residential buildings on campus.