About CU Anschutz Police
The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus Police support the educational, research, and patient care missions of the University by providing a prepared, safe and secure campus environment.
The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus Police is an agency with full police authority providing public safety services to our campus community 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, each day of the year. The 65 employees of the CU Anschutz Police are dedicated to providing quality service to our campus.
Our 28 full-time law enforcement officers respond to and investigate reports of criminal acts and emergencies on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. These officers are Colorado P.O.S.T. certified and hold police commissions with the State of Colorado. The CU University Denver Police Department also employs six Security Officers.
History
The University of Colorado Medical Center (UCMC) opened in 1924 at East 9th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard in Denver, Colorado. The original campus had four buildings with no formal security department. Eventually the campus would employ a night watchman who would secure rooms and buildings and keep an eye on the campus overnight. Following a major expansion in 1964, UCMC created a round-the-clock Security Department. The new Security Department consisted of approximately 12 men. The security officers were unarmed and communicated using World War II surplus radios. The Security Department operated out of a small room in the basement of the Research Building.
The Security Department transitioned into a commissioned police agency in 1972, and Officers attended the Colorado Law Enforcement Training Academy (CLETA) in Golden, Colorado. In 1993, increased fears over gang violence prompted the University’s Hospital to install a metal detector at the entrance to the Emergency Department. The Police Department again experienced large expansion; hiring additional security guards to staff the metal detector and police officers to staff the emergency room 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
In 1995, the University acquired land from the Federal Government at the old Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in Aurora, Colorado. The University began a 10 year move to the new location, now known as the Anschutz Medical Campus. During this time the Police Department increased staffing to ensure adequate staffing on both campuses. All Police Department administrative operations moved to the Anschutz Medical Campus in 2004.
The Anschutz Medical Campus now encompasses 271 acres with two major hospitals (University of Colorado Hospital and Children’s Hospital Colorado) with plans for further expansion in the coming years. The Anschutz Medical Campus integrates world-class education, research and patient care including professional programs in medicine, dental medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health as well as three research towers. Our campus community of students, faculty, and staff add up to a population of 25,000 – 30,000, in addition to 1.5 M patient visits annually to the two hospitals located on campus.
As the Anschutz Medical Campus and policing needs continue to grow, the Police Department broke ground for a new Police building that will be located at 17th Place and Victor Street. The new building is anticipated to be finished at the end of 2022.