Effective March 1, the Notre Dame Security Police Department will be renamed the Notre Dame Police Department, the University announced in a press release Thursday.

With the name change, the department aims “to bring clarity for both the campus community and partners in law enforcement, more accurately portray the enforcement duties of the department and reinforce the department as a sworn police force,” according to the release. The department reached the decision after extensive research, which included meetings with groups on campus and at other institutions, the press release said.

According to the release, the department will also be undergoing several operational changes to better distinguish police officers from other campus security workers. Only police officers will be responding to phone calls, and only officers will patrol the campus and drive police cars with sirens and light bars. Police officers will still wear navy blue shirts and pants, but outreach, engagement and safety inspection staff will now wear green shirts and khaki pants.

“When someone calls the Notre Dame Police Department, they will be speaking with a police officer,” Notre Dame police chief Keri Kei Shibata said in the release. “And only our officers will respond to emergencies and patrol campus, so our students, visitors, faculty and staff will know what they can expect from the officer.”

Outreach and community staff will spearhead crime prevention and community outreach programs, including training sessions for personal defense and sexual assault prevention. Safety and inspection staff will continue to perform routine inspections across campus.

Tags: Campus Safety, NDSP, Notre Dame Security Police