P (Problem-solvers), A (Accountable), C (Compassion), T (Thoughtful). These are the qualities the UW-Whitewater Police Department strives for and practices. Its core values are centered on solving problems in ways the community desires, upholding accountability, understanding and helping others with compassion and acting thoughtfully.

To support this commitment, UWWPD released the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report. This report provides students with factual information on relevant statistics, various safety-related services available on campus, emergency messaging and preparedness information and key policies and procedures.

According to the report, an internal audit was conducted in 2024. Matt Kiederlen, the chief of police at UWWPD, explained that a new manager had joined, and in the process of reviewing the report, they discovered a few numerical errors, which led to the corrective action. He stated that the police department conducts audits monthly to correct a problem before it becomes a problem in the report.

Also through the report, it can be seen that certain crimes, which are specifically motor vehicle theft, rape and dating violence, are not decreasing, and in some cases are increasing.

Kiederlen commented on this, saying “you can see population increase, which means, likely, you’re going to have crime increase. You can see increased efforts in making sure people are reporting it, which increases your reporting. There can be an increase in overall awareness, which makes people, then again, pay attention and report.”

While the statistics in the report are based on actual incidents, they do not necessarily mean that crime is absolutely increasing. The influence of population growth or increased awareness on the statistics must be recognized.

Regarding crime on campus, Dongwoo Kim, an international student in an exchange program for the Fall 2025 semester, expressed his concerns.

“I received an email about sex crimes and gun-related incidents, and it made me feel a little afraid,” Kim said. “I thought, ‘So, this is what America is like.’ Before coming to the U.S., I had heard news about gun violence and other incidents, but I’ve never actually witnessed a crime at school. Receiving news of these incidents via email makes it feel unreal and creates a sense of discrepancy when it comes to my perception of safety.”

Students are informed of campus incidents via email. However, they sometimes do not receive follow-up information on specific cases.

“If we have something that we would send out that was active, this is happening now, right? Once things were resolved, we would normally send out a follow-up,” Kiederlen said.

He also noted that for certain incidents, UWWPD may not have subsequent information to provide, as the case may fall under city jurisdiction. University police officers are responsible for the overall safety and security of the school. They patrol campus grounds and provide assistance. However, just as the police are making an effort, students also share a responsibility to be mindful and pay attention to what is happening on campus.

“The presence of police has a preventative aspect to it, period, it does,” Kiederlen said. “But true crime prevention happens at the level of the individual, not the level of police. We can provide tools, we can provide education, but we’re not the one that’s standing there when something occurs.”

Therefore, students must be aware of how to protect themselves, how to prevent crime and how to respond if a crime occurs. They should also participate in the programs provided for students and pay attention to the report. By doing so, the entire community can collectively promote safety on the UW-W campus.