We are Blue. And Red.

The USA campus police department serves both the University community and the three hospitals in the system. Our police department is unique in that many officers are graduates of USA, so they have a great deal of pride for the University. The department is accredited by the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators, and the officers are trained in mental health first-aid, crisis intervention and de-escalation. Due to increased tensions across the country after the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, the Chief of Police on campus believed it was crucial to convey a positive message to the campus community returning to campus in the fall after the COVID shutdown, communicating that the USA police force was and is a force for good. The posters, part of a larger campaign, were created featuring three officers who are all graduates of USA, and the posters were displayed on bulletin boards across campus and in the hospitals in common areas like the cafeteria, residence halls, the Student Center and the library.

This work received a CASE Circle of Excellence Award.

As if a pandemic hadn’t already set people on edge, the Black Lives Matter movement and the adversarial November election brought civility, or the lack of it, into sharp focus. This campaign, and these posters in particular, looked (and found) common ground. Considering that our students were coming back to a campus they might not recognize due to COVID-19 restrictions, it was important to position the USA police as a resource for students and not an entity to be embattled with. Historically USA police have had a great relationship with students, hosting events like “Coffee with a Cop” and “Pancakes with the PoPo,” and they set up stations to check students’ vehicles before they head out for holiday or spring breaks. They have always been there to help, and that mission continues. With a pandemic and heightened racial tensions, this message deserved repeating.