Commitment To Service
The Sewanee Police Department is comprised of eleven full time sworn officers including command staff, four full time dispatchers, and several part time officers and dispatchers. We serve The University of the South and surrounding community. All of our full time officers are sworn, commissioned police officers and additionally are deputized by the Franklin County Sheriff. Sewanee Police Officers have full arrest powers in the State of Tennessee.
The mindset driving the Sewanee Police Department is one of servitude. This department exists for the safety and security of the students, employees of the University, and the community of Sewanee. We believe in going the extra mile to help someone in need. Our standard of professionalism means consistent, inclusive, and uniform application of University policy, as well as local, state, and federal law. The involvement of the community is critical to the success of our efforts. We constantly seek input and would like to know and understand how we can better serve you as a member of our community. We strive to make every interaction with students, employees, visitors, and citizens a positive encounter for all. When police action is necessary it shall always be done with the highest level of professionalism possible. Our goal is to help guide our students to grow, learn, and enjoy themselves while maintaining the standards and limits set by law and the policies of the University. This “user friendly” approach to law enforcement endeavors to build relationships with students who are happy to stop and say hello to an officer they have interacted with.
SPD Statement, June 2020
The job of the Sewanee Police Department is to protect. Members of the department have a calling to help others and to defend the rights of every single person in the Sewanee community. We condemn police brutality, racism, prejudice, and discrimination in all their forms. We support every person’s right to peacefully protest, and we support our students in particular in using their voices for change.
This is the spirit of EQB: Each member of the community is valued and respected. Every human being has the right to be free from violence, the right to be heard, and the right to be treated with dignity and respect.
SPD is committed to providing a safe environment in which all members of the community can live, learn, work, and grow. We aim to build relationships based in trust as the foundation for working together. Listening is the beginning of a process; all members of our community will be heard and we will work together to build an equitable and inclusive community.
