Georgetown University Police Department
Police department in Washington, D.C.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Georgetown University Police Department (GUPD) is a campus police department responsible for providing security and law enforcement for Georgetown University's main campus and Medical Center in Washington, D.C., as well as properties owned by the university.[1]
| Georgetown University Police Department | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | GUPD |
| Agency overview | |
| Legal personality | Non-governmental: Body corporate |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction | United States |
| Legal jurisdiction | Georgetown University property |
| Governing body | President and Directors of Georgetown College |
| General nature | |
| Specialist jurisdiction |
|
| Operational structure | |
| Agency executives |
|
| Website | |
| police | |
Overview
Upon application of the university, the members of the department are commissioned as special police officers by the Mayor of the District of Columbia, whose authority to commission officers derives from § 5–129.02 of the Code of the District of Columbia and which is in turn delegated to the Chief of Police of the Metropolitan Police Department.[2] For this reason, Georgetown police officers have full powers of arrest on campus property.[1]
Officers attend a 3 month academy at the University of the District of Columbia. This academy is attended by most Special University Police Departments in Washington, D.C.
In addition to law enforcement and patrolling the campus by foot, vehicle, and bicycle, the department provides self-defense training to members of the university, security for campus residences and high-profile events, and safety escorts throughout the Georgetown, Burleith, and Foxhall neighborhoods.[3][4][5] Until 2013, the Georgetown University Police Department was named the Georgetown University Department of Public Safety (DPS).[6]
The current[update] Chief of Police is Interim Chief of Police Courtney Ballantine, who assumed the position on September 4th, 2025, after Interim Chief of Police / AVP for Public Safety Jay Gruber retired.
Effective February 2, 2026, the Georgetown University Police Department on Georgetown's Hilltop Campus and Department of Public Safety on Georgetown's Capitol Campus will merge into one unified department under the GUPD name. [7]
| Rank structure[8] |
|---|
| Chief of Police |
| Deputy Chief of Police |
| Captain |
| Lieutenant |
| Sergeant |
| Detective |
| Master Police Officer |
| University Police Officer / Special Police Officer |
| Security Officer |
| Communications Specialist |
| Administrative Assistant / Other Civilian Employee |
| Student Guard |
