UA Safety

Today we had the honor of celebrating the retirement of one of UAPD’s very best—K9 Debo. 🐾

Debo joined The University of Alabama Police Department in August 2017 as an Explosive Detection Canine. Over nearly a decade of service, he was recertified year after year and became a constant presence keeping our campus and community safe.

From more than 500 athletic events to searches at Talladega Superspeedway, Protective Stadium, correctional facilities, schools, and even a Presidential Rally, Debo’s work took him well beyond campus. Along the way, he assisted countless partner agencies and successfully located fi****ms and evidence, earning multiple letters of appreciation throughout his career.

Debo also showed incredible resilience—undergoing two ACL surgeries (one on each leg!)—yet never losing the drive to do the job he loved.

Today’s celebration was a fitting sendoff. Debo received a well-earned tennis ball salute 🎾, spent the day surrounded by his UAPD family, and even enjoyed not one, but TWO “dog-safe” retirement cakes. 🎂🎂

K9 Debo has given so much to this department and this community. We’re grateful for every search, every long day, and every tail wag along the way.

Show your appreciation for Debo by leaving him a comment below.

Enjoy retirement, Debo—you’ve earned it. 💙🐕

The Severe Thunderstorm Watch for Tuscaloosa County, including The University of Alabama, has been canceled.

UA ALERT: The Severe Thunderstorm Warning that included UA has expired.

UPDATE: This Warning has expired.

UA ALERT - A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for The University of Alabama until 3:45 pm.

Stay indoors until the storm passes.

Update: This Watch has been canceled.

The NWS has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 7 pm for The University of Alabama.

Stay Weather Aware this afternoon and evening.

⛈️ Strong Storms Possible This Afternoon ⛈️

Heads up if you're at The University of Alabama for Bama Bound Orientation, Alabama Girls State, or for a camp. We are in a Level 2 (out of 5) risk for strong to severe thunderstorms this afternoon.
⏰ 1-5 pm
⚠️ Threats include:
💨 Damaging winds with gusts up to 60 mph
🌨️ Large hail up to Quarter-size

Stay Weather Aware this afternoon as the storms move through the area. Be prepared to seek shelter in campus buildings if one of these storms impacts the UA campus.

🌟💙 A Special Thank You from UAPD 💙🌟

We want to give a heartfelt shoutout to Abby Miller from Calera for stopping by and sharing her incredible talent with our officers! Abby creates beautiful, handcrafted bracelets and dog collars out of paracord for law enforcement and K9 teams—and her work truly means so much to us.

Ofc. Grenier and K9 Nash are proudly sporting their new gear, and we think they’re looking pretty sharp thanks to Abby’s craftsmanship! 🐾💙

What makes this even more amazing? Abby has made over 2,000 bracelets for first responders. That’s 2,000+ acts of kindness, support, and appreciation wrapped into each piece.

Abby, thank you for your generosity, creativity, and for thinking of those who serve. Your support does not go unnoticed, and it makes a difference! 💫

Today, UAPD proudly celebrated the retirement of Field Training Officer (FTO) Patrick Hinkle, honoring 24 years of dedicated service to The University of Alabama.

Throughout his career, FTO Hinkle served in numerous vital roles — including in patrol, investigations, homicide, the training division, emergency preparedness, as a Community Oriented Police officer, and a K9 handler. There are not many in our department who haven't benefited from his training. His impact on this department and our campus community will be felt for years to come.

We also want to thank FTO Hinkle's wife and children for all the sacrifices they've made while FTO Hinkle was busy keeping watch over campus.

FTO Hinkle, thank you for your unwavering commitment to keeping our students, faculty, and staff safe. Your legacy of service and leadership will not be forgotten.

Enjoy this well-earned retirement.

We loved meeting the newest members of our today during Bama Bound Orientation at The University of Alabama.

Whether you stopped by our table during the Capstone Connections Information Fair at the The University of Alabama Student Center or you were in the student or Parent & Family Programs parent and siblings group sessions, it was great seeing you!

If you met UA Kenny or UA Maggie for the first time, drop them a 🦴 in the comments and we'll make sure they get a treat.

If you have campus safety questions that didn't get answered, drop us a comment or DM and we'll respond.

Welcome, home!

🚓✨ Welcome to Campus, American Legion: Alabama Boys' State! ✨🚓

The UA Department of Public Safety is excited to welcome Alabama Boys State to campus this week! We’re looking forward to seeing the participants on Thursday morning at the Law Enforcement Exhibition—it’s going to be an exciting and informative experience.

🚨 During the exhibition, you may notice smoke and hear a few loud noises, including demonstrations with a flash bang and breaching shotguns, near the Capstone Parking Deck on 2nd Ave. Please don’t be alarmed—these are controlled demonstrations for educational purposes only.