The UW Police Department's jurisdiction is not limited to the university campus, contrary to popular belief among students.
It is a common misconception among Madison residents, according to UW Police Department Capt. Brian Bridges, that the authority of the campus police ends with the borders of the school. However, the jurisdiction of the campus police extends beyond the university's limits.
""The UW police has authority over property controlled by the Board of Regents,"" Bridges said. ""We are the primary call takers for that property, but we can also take action outside that area as long as we don't investigate.""
Bridges said most officers within the UWPD system are also deputized in Dane County, which simply means their authority extends throughout the county. For areas outside their official jurisdiction, police officers on duty may exercise authority for serious crimes and felonies.
""We write, literally, thousands of tickets every year, and what we used to hear is, ‘You can't arrest me because I'm not a student,'"" Bridges said.
He said the jurisdiction is broken down between campus owned-roads, where UW police have authority, and city-owned roads, where the Madison Police Department has control.
Ald. Austin King, District 8, said the fact that the UWPD can make arrests anywhere in the county is often baffling to his constituents. He added that most of the time, students do not even make the connection between the UWPD and MPD.
""I think generally there isn't even a widespread understanding that there are two different departments,"" King said. ""Most people identify the gun and the badge and they think police, they don't think, ‘Oh, it's Madison or UW police.'""
UW-Madison freshman Samantha Kirzner said she believes it is a very big misconception that UW police are constrained to only campus boundaries. She said most students do not understand the UWPD has the power to enforce the law anywhere in Madison.
""I used to think that you could only be subject to their authority if you were on campus and I think that most people still believe that,"" Kirzner said.
Matt Fox, also a freshman at UW-Madison, said that when people think of campus police they think of dorms and crimes that happen within the dorms.
""Part of the problem is that people just don't know enough about the issue and the authorities in Madison,"" Fox said.
According to King, people sometimes forget that the two forces need to work together and go outside the set boundaries. Still, he said it is not always effective.
""Sometimes they work well together and sometimes they don't,"" King said.
Madison Police Department spokesperson Mike Hanson said it does not serve anyone any good if the UW police and Madison Police butt heads.
""We work together on solving crime sprees and we share intelligence,"" Hanson said. ""In regards to jurisdiction, if you're a law enforcement officer in Dane County then you're sworn and deputized for the entire county.""
Bridges said, ""We work very closely with the Madison Police. What's most important is making the public as safe as we can make it.""
