Public Safety has adopted procedural justice as a guiding principle and strives to create a culture of transparency and accountability. Below, please find quick information on the most commonly cited procedures.
a. Undocumented and DACAmented Community Members
What happens if Public Safety is contacted by ICE or other Federal organizations regarding an undocumented community member?
Public Safety neither inquires about nor acts upon information related to immigration status of undocumented or DACAmented community members, and does not partner with federal or state agencies to do so.
As a matter of practice, no individual being stopped by a member of Public Safety shall be requested to provide their immigration status during a routine field interview or traffic stop. In addition, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records, including Public Safety incident reports which are considered part of FERPA.
The City of Providence prohibits the Providence Police Department from arresting a person based solely on their immigration status. However, Providence Police will arrest on all federal criminal warrants.
For more information, please contact Brown University’s Public Safety and Emergency Management.
What should I do if I am approached on or off-campus by immigration officials?
If immigration authorities are on campus, or if you are detained off-campus at any time as a result of immigration status, please contact Public Safety and Emergency Management immediately at 863-3322. Public Safety will contact the relevant University officials. If a Brown employee is approached by federal, state or local law enforcement seeking information about a member of the Brown community, the Brown employee should contact Public Safety at 863-3322 and the Office of General Counsel's Deputy Counsel James Green at 863-3122.
What if I have other questions about general support for undocumented and DACAmented students at Brown University (including legal, financial, academic, and emotional support)?
The Undocumented, First-Generation College, and Low-Income Student (U-FLi) Center continues to be the main hub of support for undocu-plus students seeking resources at Brown University. Students, staff, and faculty who have questions or concerns should contact the center staff directly, Julio Reyes, who brings a depth of knowledge and experience to supporting undocumented and DACAmented students.
b. Citizen Complaints
Public Safety is committed to providing quality services to the community in a professional and courteous manner. It is the policy of the department to accept and investigate all complaints against the department, or its employees. Once a complaint is received, it is thoroughly investigated. Every complaint is reviewed by the Chief of Police.
Please view the Making Citizen Comments, Complaints & Inquiries - FAQs page. For bias-related incidents, you also have the option of using the Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity’s Bias Incident Reporting tool.
c. Pedestrian and Vehicle Stop Data
It is the policy of Brown University's Public Safety and Emergency Management to patrol in a professional, impartial, and unbiased manner.
In 2006, Public Safety and Emergency Management launched a proactive Field Stop Integrity Initiative to monitor and analyze the level of activity surrounding all pedestrian and motor vehicle stops conducted by Public Safety Officers. The Proactive Integrity Initiative encompasses the following key principles:
∙ Collecting and analyzing citizen/field stop data
∙ Consistent efforts to sustain accountability and supervision of personnel
∙ Implementation of strategies that prevent biased-based policing
As part of our initiative, Public Safety has established an inquiry process that allows members of the community to request information about their interaction with a Public Safety Officer if they are unsure of the reason or validity of a stop. This may be accomplished by filing an inquiry form found on our website, which will provide us with details of the stop and a way to contact them.
d. Your Rights and Responsibilities When Interacting with Law Enforcement
Please view the brochure which is designed to increase your understanding of how to respond if you are stopped by an officer.
e. Community Survey
Public Safety completes a survey every two years to solicit feedback from the community. Results can be viewed via the 2021 Public Safety Community Survey Report and the 2019 Public Safety Community Survey Report.