About the CAU Police Department

The Clark Atlanta University(CAU) Department of Public Safety is a collaborative interactive police agency dedicated to the concepts of campus community involvement and community service. We provide public safety services that are designed to fairly, efficiently, and effectively prevent crime and safeguard lives and property. We provide an environment of safety and security which ensures a peaceful quality of life in the university community by establishing collaborative partnerships with students, faculty, staff and visitors. We strive for positive interactions with outside agencies and maintain a strong, cooperative relationship with the community by respecting differences and fostering a better understanding through communication.

CAU Department of Public Safety employs a community-oriented policing philosophy to improve the quality of safety through our community partnerships and problem-solving approaches. To accomplish this goal, the organizational structure is designed into a 3-watch, 8-hour patrol shift schedule deploying resources 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays, encompassing investigative services. Officers conduct directed patrols, respond to crimes in progress, mitigate disputes and disruptions, conduct residential facility town hall meetings and safety training classes, maintain and direct emergency management functions, provide security for athletic events and on-campus social activities, and provide valuable safety tips to the community. Our personnel will maintain high ethical standards, training, and professional development ongoing.

CAU Department of Public Safety is committed to transparency and notification. The Department carries out this function by apprising the students, faculty and staff of the University’s on-campus crime statistics through the distribution of the annual “Your Right To Know” Campus Safety Report. Statistical data is also available on the Clery Act Internal Policy website. CAU Department of Public Safety believes knowledge is power and with that power comes awareness, thereby fostering a campus-wide posture of crime prevention and increased public safety.

CAU Department of Public Safety Headquarters is located at the corner of Lawshe Street and Atlanta Student Movement Blvd. (formerly Fair Street) in the Tanner Turner Building. Stop by and visit.

Message from Chief of Police

Chief of Police Debra A. Williams in uniform with a police captain's hat.

Welcome to Clark Atlanta University.

As Chief of Police and Associate Vice President for Public Safety, it is my honor and privilege to serve the Clark Atlanta University community. I believe that serving in this role is more than a profession—it is a calling and a responsibility that I embrace each day.

The safety and well-being of our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and visitors remain among our highest priorities. However, creating a safe campus is not the responsibility of the Department of Public Safety alone. Campus safety is a shared responsibility, and each member of our community plays an important role.

At the Clark Atlanta University Department of Public Safety, our commitment extends beyond responding to incidents. We are focused on prevention, preparedness, engagement, education, and building meaningful relationships with the people we serve. Our goal is to provide a professional, responsive, and service-oriented public safety environment where every member of the Panther community feels safe, respected, welcomed, and valued.

My philosophy has always been simple: “Police our campus, not our students.” This philosophy reflects our commitment to community-oriented policing and recognizes that our students are not simply members of the population we protect—they are the reason we are here.

We continue to strengthen campus safety through training, technology, emergency preparedness, crime prevention initiatives, community partnerships, and collaboration with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners. Equally important is our commitment to listening to our campus community and creating opportunities for students and public safety personnel to interact outside of enforcement situations.

Our officers, communications professionals, security personnel, emergency management staff, and administrative team are committed to serving this University with professionalism, accountability, integrity, compassion, and respect. Every interaction is an opportunity for us to make a positive difference and leave a positive impression on someone we serve.

I encourage every member of the Panther community to become an active partner in campus safety. Stay informed, remain aware of your surroundings, participate in our safety programs, familiarize yourself with emergency procedures, and report suspicious activity or safety concerns. Most importantly, if you see something that concerns you, please say something.

As we continue moving Clark Atlanta University forward, we remain committed to strengthening trust, enhancing preparedness, embracing innovation, and providing the highest level of public safety service possible.

Together, we can maintain a campus environment where our students can learn, live, grow, and thrive.

Thank you for your partnership, your trust, and your commitment to keeping Clark Atlanta University safe.

One University. One Community. One Shared Responsibility for Safety.

With Panther Pride,

Debra A. Williams
Chief of Police & Associate Vice President for Public Safety/ Director of Emergency Management
Clark Atlanta University Police Department

Contact CAU Police Department (CAUPD)

Emergency: (404) 880-8911
Non-Emergency: (404) 880-8623
CAU Department of Public Safety Lawshe Street at Student Movement Boulevard
223 James P. Brawley Drive, S.W. Atlanta, GA 30314

Command Staff

Genesis Huff
Major

Demond Conner
Captain

Kenneth Tatum
Lieutenant

Jalisa Munnerlyn
Lieutenant

Cree Smith
Office Manager

Trista Stanley
Communications Director

Kawaskee Brown
Sergeant

Howard Peters
Sergeant

Brian Taylor
Sergeant

Milton Lane
Sergeant

Shaquilla Wright
Sergeant

Xavier Dean
Corporal

David Almond
Assistant Terminal Agency Coordinator

Public Safety Units

Communications

The Mission of the Communications Unit is to provide expedient and courteous service in a professional and proficient manner to students, faculty, staff and visitors. The Communications Unit is responsible for receiving and relaying all relevant and related data of calls for service for Emergency and Non-Emergency incidents which occur within the jurisdiction of the Clark Atlanta University Police Department and other agencies having joint jurisdiction.

The Communications Unit maintains communication over emergency, non-emergency, administrative telephone lines and call boxes. The Communication Unit also monitors the University’s surveillance cameras system of which encompasses numerous cameras located throughout the campus. With a staff of eleven communications officers and two Terminal Agency Coordinator (TAC), our communication’s unit provides services twenty-four (24) hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. In addition to the telephone system, the communications unit utilizes the Motorola transmitting system, a total recall digital voice recording unit and the Criminal Justice Information System Network to access GCIC/NCIC files. The TAC also serves as the communications supervisor for the department, and provides to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) with a monthly report of the statistical data of crimes and criminal activity on the Clark Atlanta University campus.

Investigations Unit

The Investigations Unit is commanded by the Captain and includes two (2) investigators. The Investigations Unit is responsible for investigating crimes, following up on reports initiated by the Patrol Unit for every criminal case reported to the Clark Atlanta University Police Department. Every complainant is contacted, regardless of how minor the offense may appear, to determine if any other pertinent information is available on the case and to ensure the complainant still wishes to file charges. Each reported criminal incident is assigned to an investigator. These assignments consist of working crime scenes, conducting interviews and processing charges. Also, to access areas on campus that may be experiencing an unusually high number of reported criminal activities, to target those areas for “special attention.”

The Investigations Unit is also responsible for conducting background investigations on all potential applicants for the Clark Atlanta University Police Department.

Patrol Unit

The patrol function is the most visible asset of the Department of Public Safety. The principal duties of an officer while on patrol is to attempt to prevent violations of the law, enforce the policies, rules and regulations of the University, check for suspicious persons and render aid and assistance.

Police Officers perform services through foot patrol, vehicle and bike patrols twenty-four (24) hours per day. While on foot patrol, attention is primarily focused on common areas, the buildings and the activities around and in them. On vehicle patrol, this attention is redirected to the parking areas and campus properties on the perimeter of the campus and any activities around or in them. The bike patrol focuses its attention on the campus interior, parking areas, and the promenade. Officers of the Department of Public Safety enforce Georgia criminal and traffic laws while on patrol. Violations of those laws are cited with Uniform Traffic Citations which are processed by City Of Atlanta Municipal Court and the Fulton County Justice Center.

The Department of Public Safety shares the responsibility for the patrol of the city streets around Clark Atlanta University with the City of Atlanta Police Department.

Records Unit

The Clark Atlanta University Police Records Unit is responsible for the maintenance of all incident reports which occur within the Clark Atlanta University jurisdiction. Administrative personnel distribute and release Incident/Accident reports upon request and maintain a record of released reports. One may obtain a copy of an Incident/Accident report by visiting in person the Clark Atlanta University Police Department, in the Tanner Turner Building between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Please allow five business days for processing of reports.

Training Unit

The Training Unit is a unit of the Patrol Bureau and focuses its attention on the following three categories:

Basic/Orientation Training
In-Service Training
Advanced Training