The IUP Department of Public Safety and University Police stands firmly against racism and discrimination of any kind, and we do not tolerate acts of racial violence or other forms of hate and oppression in our community, or in our department.
The Department and its members are united in the belief, and we will state it publicly, that the conduct of the Minneapolis officers involved in the murder of George Floyd is criminal and inexcusable. The actions of these officers—and other officers and individuals who have been part of violence and injustice against persons of color—in no way reflects how our officers have been trained to conduct themselves.
This is our core belief: the mission of the IUP Police Department is to provide a service-oriented, safe, and secure learning, living, and working environment in support of the university's overarching mission to prepare students to become productive national and global citizens. There is no place for hate or racism in this mission.
We want to assure our community that IUP Police do not use any force in the category of respiratory restraint techniques. That means that we do not use chokeholds and strangleholds. We follow training standards from the nationally recognized Human Factor Research Group, and officers are required to do training and be tested annually about proper and appropriate use of force. Officers are also educated about biased-based and profiling activities. Our department does not condone or tolerate biased-based or profiling activity. Officers are required to complete minimum training standards required by our state and federal government related to policing procedures and techniques, and the IUP Police Department requires officers to do a number of trainings related to diversity, anti-racism, and how to respond to persons with disabilities and other unique circumstances.
IUP Police Officers are required to follow the same code of conduct required of all IUP employees: to maintain an environment free from harassment, discrimination, and sexual harassment.
We are proud to be part of this community, and we are proud to serve IUP students and employees while respecting all persons, regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and other identities.
The IUP Department of Public Safety and University Police fully supports the efforts of the President's Commission on Diversity and Inclusion, and we look forward to working together with members of the Commission and others within our community in anti-racism efforts.