Marquette University Police Department is decreasing the area of its patrol zone effective June 1, 2024. The new zone will impact the areas MUPD currently patrols by a few blocks mainly on the east and west side of campus.
How will this affect students?
The university said part of the reason for the change was to concentrate police resources in the areas where most students live.
“Fine-tuning the MUPD patrol zone will focus resources closer to our students, employees and campus activities; create more visible MUPD patrols; and enable even faster MUPD response times,” Joel Pogodzinski, executive vice president and chief operating officer, said in a statement.
All campus buildings and properties, including Valley Fields, will remain in the new MUPD patrol zone.
Off campus renting
MUPD encourages students to live within the patrol boundary so they can have access to campus safety resources such as vacant house watch and free evening rideshare service EagleExpress.
“We’re aware that many students consider housing decisions for next year during the fall semester, so we wanted to share this information right away so they can make informed decisions,” Edith Hudson, MUPD Chief, said in a statement.
All university-owned apartment buildings will remain in the patrol zone. Off campus housing options within the patrol zone are indicated by a dotted blue line here.
The Office of Residence Life and Rent College Pads will be hosting a student housing fair with local landlords Thursday Sep. 28 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the 2nd floor of the Alumni Memorial Union.
EagleExpress route
Marquette’s free evening rideshare service will update its routes in the summer in conjunction with the patrol boundary change.
How did MUPD make this change?
The change was made after the President’s Task Force on community safety received feedback from local law enforcement and elected officials. The new patrol zone also reflects changes in university property ownership. In May 2022 the university sold 11 acres of land south of Michigan St. that will become a news sports entertainment district. Marquette soccer and lacrosse teams will play at the new venue.
Despite the change in patrol boundary the MUPD said it will still be involved with community partners, such as Near West Side Partners, in the neighborhoods surrounding Marquette.
How does MUPD work with MPD?
Milwaukee Police Department is the primary agency in the area, with District 1 and 3 sharing boundaries with MUPD. Marquette is the only private institution in Wisconsin with its own police department. MUPD has been fully funded by the university since its inception in 2015.
Where did the boundary change?
Here are the most notable changes with the updated patrol zone
- Kilbourn Ave: The old boundary covered Kilbourn from 11th street to 23rd street. The new boundary is now from 11th to 21st.
- Wells St: The old boundary was from 7th to 24th street. It is now from 7th to 21st street.
- St. Paul Ave: The old boundary covered parts of St. Paul all the way from 6th street to 27th street. The new boundary decreases the area to 13th to 25th street.
This story was written by Megan Woolard. She can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter/X @MeganWoolard4
