Tuscaloosa Police and UAPD Open New Shared Precinct on the Strip
The police departments at the University of Alabama and the city of Tuscaloosa are opening a shared precinct on the Strip to increase safety there, they announced Friday.
The two departments have worked hand-in-hand since UAPD was first formed in 1946 and especially since it was accredited in 1998 and its officers gained arrest powers. The new shared space will only grow that cooperation, a University spokesperson said in a press release.
The joint precinct is already up and running in a temporary home at the corner of University Boulevard and Campus Drive West next to Insomnia Cookies, and UA said it will soon be relocated to a space "directly on the Strip."
Both departments already dedicated officers to a "Strip Detail" that works to police the area, which stays busy year-round and is absolutely flooded with people during Alabama football games. The new precinct will give those officers an operating base in the heart of the action.
“The safety and well-being of our students and our community is our top priority,” said UA President Stuart Bell. “We are grateful for a close working partnership with our City colleagues to identify ways to continually enhance and augment safety strategies in the jointly patrolled areas, especially the Strip, and throughout our community.”
Other improvements, including improved lighting and additional surveillance cameras, have also recently been installed on the Strip, according to the release, and more measures are in the planning stage.
“The City of Tuscaloosa’s most essential service is public safety. Knowing that tens of thousands of students, faculty, staff and guests of The University of Alabama are at the heart of our central city, the partnership with UAPD is critical,” said Maddox. “Our partnership is strong, and we will continue to work together to ensure the campus and community is safe.”
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