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Police Credentials

Jurisdiction

Georgia law provides university and campus police arrest powers for offenses committed on University System of Georgia properties and includes jurisdiction over offenses committed on any public or private property within 500 yards of any property under the jurisdiction of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. The law enforcement efforts of the Savannah State University Police will generally be confined to properties of SSU. All officers have been deputized by Chatham County Sheriff John Wilcher. Jurisdictional authority for property within 500 yards of any property under the jurisdiction of the Board of Regents of the University System will be utilized only at the request of other agencies having original jurisdiction, or in a situation jeopardizing the life and property safety, or in other emergency situations.

Officers Training

The officers of The SSU Public Safety Department come to the department with varied backgrounds, not only in law enforcement but military experience as well. The majority of the departmental personnel are college graduates holding academic degrees in areas of Business Management, Healthcare Management, Education, Biology, Mass Communications, and even Sociology to name a few. Several officers and staff are currently enrolled in higher learning programs in the education system of Georgia.

All members of The SSU Public Safety Department attend specialized training beyond the state-mandated requirements for their continued certification. These areas of training include but are not limited to:

Outside Agency Cooperation

The SSU Public Safety Department works closely with its sister agencies, the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (G.B.I.) and the Georgia State Patrol (G.S.P.). The department also works closely with local law enforcement and federal agencies, including but not limited to: Savannah Police Department, Chatham Police Department, The Thunderbolt Police Department, District Attorney’s office, Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), and United States Secret Service, and other State College/University Law Enforcement Agencies.

Each organizations’ websites can provide you with more information in reference to their resources for training and updated changes in the Georgia Law Enforcement that aid in keeping our department up to date with the most recent information and changes to the laws. Please do not hesitate to visit the websites to obtain more information about what we are about. Take a look at our contact page, and please let us know what we can do to better serve you.

Authority

Authority of SSU Public Safety Department and other security personnel to make arrest on campus property and property within 500 yards thereof. The SSU Public Safety Department of the University System of Georgia, who are regular employees of the University System of Georgia, shall have the power to make arrest for offenses committed upon any property under the jurisdiction of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.

The Primary Function

The key function of The SSU Public Safety Department is to protect the lives and property of the students, staff, faculty, and visitors. This is practiced by providing law enforcement services throughout the campus on a twenty-four hours (24) a day, seven days a week basis.

In an effort to meet the need of SSU's expanding properties, the SSU Public Safety Department patrols the campus, in patrol cars, mules, ATV’s, on bicycles, and on foot within their designated zones. The officers of the department are dispatched via the communications center when a call is received requesting information or assistance. Through getting to know the staff of the SSU Public Safety Department, you will become aware that they perform not only law enforcement services; but go above and beyond in order to increase positive interactions at SSU.

The SSU Public Safety Department staff includes a Chief, Deputy Chief, a Captain, Lieutenants, Sergeants, Corporals, Detectives, Patrol Officers, K-9 Officer, Security Officers, Communication Officers/ Dispatchers, a Community Oriented Police Officer, and a Departmental Secretary. All officers of the SSU Public Safety Department are state certified police officers, who go through year-round training.