The Indiana University Police Department has formed a strategic faculty partnership agreement with Natalie Hipple, professor and chair of the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice in the College of Arts and Sciences at IU Bloomington, to strengthen its service to the IU community.

Benjamin Hunter. Photo by James Brosher, Indiana University

Maintaining a formal partnership with a dedicated faculty member supports the IUPD’s goals to institutionalize evidence-based practices, improve transparency, and foster a collaborative environment between the university and the police department.

“The IUPD is committed to data-driven policies and practices, transparency, and continuous improvement in the quality of our service to the university’s students, faculty and staff,” said Benjamin Hunter, IU associate vice president and superintendent for public safety. “The IUPD has benefited from professor Natalie Hipple’s expertise for many years, and we’re thrilled to formalize our partnership and continue collaborating with a shared vision of evidence-based campus policing.”

As the first strategic faculty partner with the IUPD, Hipple will serve as an operational liaison between the department and the university’s academic community. She will also provide policy recommendations and support data analysis, collection and reporting.

Natalie Hipple. Photo by Wendi Chitwood, Indiana University “The work of a higher education police department is unique, and data collection and analysis are essential to implementing the most appropriate procedures and policies,” Hipple said. “I look forward to continuing my collaboration with the IU Police Department and am honored to be the first faculty member taking part in this forward-looking initiative.”

The IUPD is a leader in higher education law enforcement with a history of seeking faculty perspectives. IU faculty have provided input through the IU De-escalation and Training Commission formed in 2018 to support data collection and analysis. IU faculty members have also collaborated with IUPD officers on research-based presentations and publications, contributing to the body of knowledge on campus policing and use of force.

The two-year strategic faculty partnership agreement began July 1.

Mary Keck is communications manager for IU Public Safety.