UW–Madison Police Department

Equity by Community, with Community, for Community

The UWPD Equity Dashboard is a way of showing our commitment to equity in action as co-defined alongside members of our community.
View the Equity Dashboard

Equity Dashboard

We acknowledge the cumulative weight of our history

Like many institutions in the United States, policing has an uneven history. A legacy of harm persists in systems, hearts and minds today. There are reasons why those we serve from marginalized communities experience fear, anxiety and anger when it comes to police. Some examples:

Black & Latinx people disproportionately experience use of force by police officers

Additionally, research shows police officers are more likely to stop Black and Latinx people multiple times annually compared to White people. When they do, trends suggest police officers speak significantly less respectfully to Black people than White people irrespective of officer race, severity of the infraction and outcome of the stop.

LGBTQ individuals are overrepresented at every level of the criminal justice system, from juvenile justice to parole

Additionally, research finds transgender people of color report higher rates of harassment during contacts with police than White transgender people.

UWPD is not immune as it relates to the problematic history of policing

Understanding our own tainted history and creating mechanisms for continuous assessment and improvement is essential to cultivating community trust.

* see data collected by Gallup here
** see report by The Sentencing Project here

National Statistics
69%
PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN POLICING IN 2023*
1 in 81
BLACK AMERICANS INCARCERATED IN STATE PRISONS NATIONALLY**
1 in 36
BLACK WISCONSINITES INCARCERATED, WHICH IS MOST NATIONALLY**

Welcome to the Conversation

On behalf of all of us at the UW-Madison Police Department, thank you for taking the time to learn about the work we do to keep our campus community safe.

This dashboard is the result of more than a year of collaboration through our Racial Equity Initiative. We’ve worked hard with our Police Advisory Council and various community stakeholders to find ways that our department can be even more transparent about our work on the UW-Madison campus. The UWPD Equity Dashboard is one of those ways. It’s a means to present key data sets about our department, the calls we respond to, complaints, and more – all with a laser-focus on equity.

We hope you find the dashboard useful and a demonstration of our never-ending commitment to building trust and deepening partnerships. Again, welcome to the conversation – we’re glad you’re here.

Learn More About UWPD

A few points to consider…

  • The data presented in this dashboard is updated quarterly.
  • Our data collection processes are reviewed by three separate accreditation bodies to ensure accuracy and integrity.
  • We commit to finding ways to continuously improve the Equity Dashboard — as such, your feedback is appreciated.

UWPD: Our People

Diversity is a value at UWPD and, consistent with UW-Madison’s statement on diversity, we view it as a strength that improves our ability to serve our campus community. We are committed to ensuring our entire department appropriately reflects the campus community across a range of backgrounds and identities. View our current organizational chart here.

Demographic data sourced from the Office of Affirmative Action Planning and Programming

Data shown is from 2021

Statistics
124
UWPD employees (police and non-police)
32%
Women
56%
UWPD employees with at least a four-year degree
40
Average Age
Data for: Q3, 2024
Export Data
Select a Year
2021
2022
2023
2024
Select a Quarter
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Overview
UWPD responds to and initiates hundreds of calls for service each day, most of which do not result in enforcement action. Non-enforcement calls for service include crime reports and prevention, community policing activities, requests for assistance, and many others.
6,660
Total number of
police calls for service

Initiated Calls

72%

Officer Initiated (Proactive)

28%

Community Initiated (Reactive)

Most Common Service Types
Calls of Community Interest

These calls highlighted based on community feedback, frequently asked questions and local/national trends

Total number of calls of community interest: 200

City of Madison Population

Sourced from U.S. Census data available here

UW-Madison Population (includes students, faculty and staff)

Sourced from UW-Madison data available here

Traffic Stops
Traffic stops are among the most visible public contact conducted by UWPD police officers. A priority goal of traffic-related enforcement is to promote safety.
938
Total number of
traffic stops

By Gender

32%

Female

67%

Male

UWPD documents identity categories, including gender and race, based on official government identification documents/records

Officers may utilize a category of “Unknown” when gender and/or race are not disclosed, reported, or known by the officer. For this reason, some totals may not equal 100%

Time of Day

12:00AM - 8:00AM
37%
345
8:00AM - 4:00PM
14%
133
4:00PM - 12:00AM
49%
460

Affiliation

22%

UW-affiliate

78%

Non-affiliate

Enforcement Outcome

Filter by race/ethnicity
All
American Indian/ Alaskan Native
Asian/ Pacific Islander
Black
White
Unknown
Hispanic / Latino
Verbal Warning
77%
718
Citation
17%
157
Written Warning
1%
11
No Violation
1%
6

Did traffic stops generate complaints?

1% Yes
99% No

City of Madison Population

Sourced from U.S. Census data available here

Traffic Stops by Race

All
All
UW Affiliated
Non Affiliated
Men
Women
American Indian/ Alaskan Native
1%
8
Asian/ Pacific Islander
12%
114
Black
19%
176
White
68%
634
Unknown
1%
6

Traffic Stops by Ethnicity

Hispanic / Latino
16%
151

Reason For Stop

Filter by race/ethnicity
All
American Indian/ Alaskan Native
Asian/ Pacific Islander
Black
White
Unknown
Hispanic / Latino
Driver’s License
2%
16
Speed Limit
24%
227
Stop Light/ Sign
24%
226
Other Hazardous Moving Violation
21%
196
Vehicle Equipment
14%
131
Vehicle Registration
9%
80
Other
7%
62
Citations
Citations are one of many tools UWPD uses to address certain illegal behaviors. UWPD officers issue citations based on State of Wisconsin statutes as well as University of Wisconsin System administrative codes.
451
Total number of
citations

By Gender

27%

Female

73%

Male

UWPD documents identity categories, including gender and race, based on official government identification documents/records

Officers may utilize a category of “Unknown” when gender and/or race are not disclosed, reported, or known by the officer. For this reason, some totals may not equal 100%

Age

Filter by race/ethnicity
All
American Indian/ Alaskan Native
Asian/ Pacific Islander
Black
White
Unknown
Hispanic / Latino
0 - 17
1%
6
18 - 22
35%
157
23 - 29
22%
100
30 - 39
20%
88
40 - 49
13%
58
50 - 59
4%
18
60+
5%
24

Affiliation

27%

UW-affiliate

73%

Non-affiliate

Did citations generate complaints?

Time of Day

12:00AM - 8:00AM
45%
202
8:00AM - 4:00PM
17%
78
4:00PM - 12:00AM
38%
171

Citations by Race

All
All
UW Affiliated
Non Affiliated
Men
Women
American Indian/ Alaskan Native
0%
2
Asian/ Pacific Islander
6%
25
Black
28%
126
White
66%
298
Unknown
0%
0

Citations by Ethnicity

Hispanic / Latino
16%
70

Reason For Citation

Filter by race/ethnicity
All
American Indian/ Alaskan Native
Asian/ Pacific Islander
Black
White
Unknown
Hispanic / Latino
Traffic
56%
253
Underage Alcohol
19%
85
Trespassing
2%
7
Disorderly/Assaultive Behavior
1%
6
Property Crime
2%
7
Drugs
1%
3
Other
20%
90
Arrests
Criminal arrests are a relatively small but serious aspect of enforcement by UWPD police officers since some may involve limiting or restricting someone’s freedom of movement.
91
Total number of
arrests

By Gender

15%

Female

85%

Male

UWPD documents identity categories, including gender and race, based on official government identification documents/records

Officers may utilize a category of “Unknown” when gender and/or race are not disclosed, reported, or known by the officer. For this reason, some totals may not equal 100%

Age

Filter by race/ethnicity
All
American Indian/ Alaskan Native
Asian/ Pacific Islander
Black
White
Unknown
Hispanic / Latino
0 - 17
1%
1
18 - 22
14%
13
23 - 29
21%
19
30 - 39
29%
26
40 - 49
20%
18
50 - 59
8%
7
60+
8%
7

Affiliation

4%

UW-affiliate

96%

Non-affiliate

Taken To Jail?

56% Yes
44% No

GENERATED COMPLAINTS?

Felony or Misdemeanor

Arrests by Race

All
All
UW Affiliated
Non Affiliated
Men
Women
Taken to Jail
American Indian/ Alaskan Native
0%
0
Asian/ Pacific Islander
9%
8
Black
30%
27
White
62%
56
Unknown
0%
0

Arrests by Ethnicity

Hispanic / Latino
15%
14

Reason For Arrest

Filter by race/ethnicity
All
American Indian/ Alaskan Native
Asian/ Pacific Islander
Black
White
Unknown
Hispanic / Latino
Crimes Against People

Crimes (i.e. murder, rape, assault) where victims are always people

11%
10
Crimes Against Property

Crimes (i.e. robbery, bribery, burglary) where purpose is to obtain money, property, or some other benefit

31%
28
Crimes Against Society

Crimes (i.e. alcohol/drug violations, bail jumping) representing society’s prohibition against engaging in certain types of activity; typically “victimless” crimes where property is not the object

58%
53
Use of Force
Use of force may be necessary depending on the situation. All use of force incidents are reviewed to ensure policy compliance, improve training and promote a culture of accountability at UWPD. All incidents above compliant handcuffing receive additional review by a supervisor.
11
Total use of force incidents

Based on feedback from our community, we’re showing only use of force data that involves pain compliance holds to a person, physically directing a combative subject to the ground, a strike to a person, pointing or using a weapon against a person, or injury to a person or officer. The data does not include use of force incidents that don’t involve people – like clearing an empty building or euthanizing an injured animal.

By Gender

9%

Female

91%

Male

UWPD documents identity categories, including gender and race, based on official government identification documents/records

Officers may utilize a category of “Unknown” when gender and/or race are not disclosed, reported, or known by the officer. For this reason, some totals may not equal 100%

Age

Filter by race/ethnicity
All
American Indian/ Alaskan Native
Asian/ Pacific Islander
Black
White
Unknown
Hispanic / Latino
0 - 17
9%
1
18 - 22
36%
4
23 - 29
27%
3
30 - 39
18%
2
40 - 49
9%
1
50 - 59
0%
0
60+
0%
0

Affiliation

18%

UW-affiliate

82%

Non-affiliate

GENERATED COMPLAINTS?

90.9% No

Use of Force Incidents by Race

All
All
UW Affiliated
Non Affiliated
Men
Women
American Indian/ Alaskan Native
0%
0
Asian/ Pacific Islander
0%
0
Black
36%
4
White
64%
7
Unknown
0%
0

Use of Force by Ethnicity

Hispanic / Latino
9%
1

Type Of Force

Total use of force incidents: 11

Code Descriptions

BTN = Baton Drawn

Displayed and prepared to use against a person

BTD = Baton Deployed

Person struck

ECD = Taser Drawn

Displayed and prepared to use against a person

TSR = Taser Deployed

Discharged at or in contact with a person

FRM = Firearm Drawn

Displayed and prepared to use against a person

FMD = Firearm Discharged

Discharged at a person

OC = Pepper Spray Drawn

Displayed and prepared to use against a person

OCD = Pepper Spray Deployed

Discharged at a person

LL = Less Lethal Drawn

Displayed and prepared to use a less lethal device (i.e. beanbag, foam) at a person

LLD = Less Lethal Deployed

Discharged less lethal projectile (i.e. beanbag, foam) at a person

WPN = Weaponless

Strikes, pressure points, compliance holds, or physically directing a person to the ground

OTHR = Other

Any force directed toward a person not contained within another category

MDWN = Medically Directed Weaponless

Weaponless use of force at lawful direction of medical personnel

Complaints
Members of the public as well as UWPD employees submit complaints. Our online submission form for complaints provides members of the public with the option of submitting complaints anonymously. We investigate all submitted complaints. The data in this section includes public complaints and internal complaints, which include administrative infractions (i.e. tardy for work, abuse of sick time, or work rule violations) involving UWPD police officers.
7
Total number of
complaints

Types Of Complaints

Public & Internal
Public & Internal
Public Complaints
Internal Complaints
Total Count
Total Count
Use of Force
Vulnerable Population
Exonerated
29%
2
Pending
43%
3
Sustained
29%
2

Complaints Related to Use Of Force

Complaints
71%
Sustained Complaint
29%
Not Sustained
0
Officers with multiple sustained complaints

Definitions

Unfounded
Investigation revealed the alleged action did not occur
Inconclusive
Investigation failed to uncover conclusive evidence in support or denial of the alleged action
Exonerated
Investigation revealed the alleged action did occur and was within Department policy, state law, or university work rules
Sustained
Investigation revealed the alleged action did occur and was not within Department policy, state law or university work rules
Pending
Investigation has not yet been completed. Once completed, this data will be updated.

Equity in Practice

UWPD is committed to fostering the conditions needed to achieve and maintain equity. This means
regularly evaluating our policies and training with a focus on achieving equitable outcomes. It also means actively seeking out
opportunities to collaborate with campus and community partners to enhance safety.

Policy

Policies represent a set of expectations for which UWPD officers are accountable across a range of things they do — including managing emergencies, writing reports, and interacting with community members.

Training

Training is an important part of making sure new and continuing UWPD officers are fully prepared to interact with the public in ways that yield the safest and most productive outcomes possible.

Restorative Justice

UWPD is one of the most active participants in the Dane County Community Restorative Court (CRC) program.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

UWPD hired its first Executive Director of Recruitment, Diversity, and Inclusion in 2019 to ensure DEI principles are a part of everything we do as a department.

Triple Accreditation

UWPD is the only agency in the State of Wisconsin to be triply accredited. To maintain accreditation, UWPD submits to a regular review process conducted by an independent third party.

Mental Health Response

We recognize mental health as a serious issue for our society and community. Through training and collaboration with campus partners, we are committed to addressing this issue thoughtfully.

Ways to Get Involved

Police Advisory Council

Formed in 2017, the Police Advisory Council (PAC) is a campus community advisory group that meets regularly to discuss and review a range of department and campus-related topics. The PAC is comprised of stakeholders from across the UW–Madison community.

Help Us Train

UWPD officers are required to participate in a number of trainings throughout the year. Volunteers can enhance the quality of these trainings by serving as role players, discussion panelists, etc.

Officer Ride-Alongs

A ride-along is a unique opportunity to learn about what UWPD officers do on a day-to-day basis. This can be a great way to gain perspective about campus policing -- whether you are an interested community member or even someone interested in joining our team.

Hiring and Promotional Panelists

At UWPD, we are only as good as our people. Community perspectives are valued when it comes to evaluating applicants for a variety of positions at the department.

UWPD Community Academy

Participants in the UWPD Community Academy get an immersive experience designed to teach them about department, including training. The UWPD Community Academy is still in its developmental stages -- stay tuned for more information on how to become a participant.

Internships

For people who are interested in working at a police department or related area, UWPD hosts internships. Typically extending a summer, six months, or one year, interns have the opportunity to learn about the department, expand their career network, and gain valuable experience across different aspects of our operations.

Get in Touch

If you have questions or feedback, we want to hear from you.

Contact Us