Police & Public Safety

Department Overview

• 911 (Emergency)
• 910.630.7098 (Welcome Center)

The Department of Police & Public Safety works 24-7-365 to help keep Methodist University a safer and more secure place to learn, live, work, and grow. Our continuing mission is to serve and protect the University community while fostering an atmosphere of integrity, courtesy, and respect. We seek to continuously improve the quality and scope of our services to meet community’s changing needs. We are committed to delivering the highest level of professional support to our students, faculty, staff, and guests.

The Department of Police & Public Safety’s Headquarters is located in the Campus Services Building (near Clark Hall and Duggins Soccer Stadium).  Our customer service desk is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.

Organizational Structure

Public Safety

The Department of Police & Public Safety is a dual-service agency comprised of sworn North Carolina Law Enforcement Officers, non-sworn Public Safety Officers, Telecommunicators, and Safety Specialists.

University Police Officers

Alisa Werbelow, [email protected], Interim Chief of Police, leads the Police Services Section, which performs an array of law enforcement functions. Campus Police Officers are fully empowered to enforce North Carolina criminal and traffic laws and federal criminal laws on University property, as well as on all adjacent streets and highways. In addition, they patrol in vehicles and on foot, investigate crimes and vehicle crashes, respond to calls for service, and provide assistance to motorists. Campus Police Officers complete annual in-service training as mandated by the North Carolina Department of Justice. Many of our Police Officers also hold advanced and specialized law enforcement certifications. The Police Chief supervises three Police Sergeants (including an Investigator), five Police Officers, and two Reserve Police Officers. University Police Officers are on duty at all times to serve the campus community. University Police Officers assigned to patrol duties wear a khaki shirt and green pants.

Security Officers

Lt. Carl Douglas, [email protected], manages the Public Safety Services Section within the Department. Public Safety Officers, who patrol in vehicles and on foot, are responsible for locking, unlocking, and frequently checking all facilities on the campus. In addition, our Public Safety Officers respond to calls for service, provide support for athletic and other special events, and enforce University parking regulations. Public Safety Officers do not have arrest powers, but do complete extensive supervised classroom and field training before becoming eligible for solo patrol duty. Public Safety Officers are on duty at all times to serve the campus community. All Public Safety Officers wear a green shirt and khaki pants.

Safety & Support

Lt. Janet Bird, [email protected], Interim Director of Public Safety, leads the Safety & Support Services Section, which executes many important duties that impact the entire University community. The highly-trained and skilled personnel who staff this section are responsible for fire and life safety program compliance and training, crime prevention, driver safety training, emergency preparedness, access control, and administration of the vehicle registration and campus ID card programs.