Family, friends, UCF Police officers and staff, and members of the community welcomed six new officers to UCFPD today.

The officers, who started their field training in July, were sworn into the agency by UCFPD Chief Richard Beary. Lieutenant Christine Gigicos, who joined UCFPD in July after retiring from the Orlando Police Department, also was formally sworn in.

Students, faculty and staff members, and the community are invited to join the men and women of the UCF Police Department Wednesday for coffee and conversation.

UCFPD’s first ever Coffee With A Cop will start at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 24, at the McDonald’s on Alafaya Trail across the street from UCF.

Agency leadership and officers from different UCFPD divisions will be on hand to receive feedback and answer questions. All attendees will receive a free small cup of coffee courtesy of McDonald’s.

The event goes until 10 a.m.

UCF Police leaders, officers, employees and community partners gathered Wednesday for the department’s semi-annual awards ceremony, which recognized outstanding service to campus and Central Florida.

The ceremony, held at the Wayne Densch Center for Student-Athlete Leadership, included recognitions of distinguished service, life-saving work, physical fitness excellence and more.

Interactive safety demonstrations, games, informational displays, prizes and more are among the highlights of this year’s Campus Safety Fair, which will be held Wednesday, Sept. 7.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Pegasus Ballroom of the Student Union will be filled with a variety of on and off-campus organizations and resources dedicated to keeping students safe. The fair, in its seventh year, is held each September in honor of National Campus Safety Awareness Month.

Expect road closures and traffic delays on campus due to the upcoming summer commencement ceremonies at the CFE Arena Saturday, August 6.

The first ceremony will begin at 9 a.m., and the second will start at 2:30 p.m. Doors will open 90 minutes before each ceremony. The procession of graduates into the arena begins 20 minutes before the start of each ceremony, which lasts about two hours.

Please expect traffic delays and large crowds, and plan to arrive early to find parking and a seat.

The Pokémon Go craze has swept the nation– and UCF is no exception– but the UCF Police Department reminds players to stay alert and aware of their surroundings.

Pokémon Go is a mobile game that creates an ”augmented reality” using GPS power. Players collect Pokémon characters as they explore their physical surroundings. The game has been credited with bringing people together to explore new places and to motivate people to get active and go outside.

UCFPD Sgt. Jerry Hartsfield first stepped onto the campus of the University of Central Florida 35 years ago as a criminal justice student.

This month, he retires with an honorary promotion of lieutenant following 30 years of service with UCFPD.

Hartsfield, known for being a man of few words, had a simple message for colleagues who this week attended a reception in his honor.

“I was fortunate to be here all these years, and I hope that those of you who are in the same situation here, 30 years from now, will get the opportunity to retire from UCF.”

The UCF Police Department will join agencies nationwide in a Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement wave that will go through June 5.

UCFPD will issue citations to motorists and passengers who are not wearing a seat belt, and violators may be subject to a $114 non-moving violation.

Seat belts can help prevent serious injuries during accidents and ultimately save lives. The simple step of buckling up makes roads safer for everyone.

The Safe Escort Patrol Service, or SEPS, is a free service provided by the UCF Police Department seven days a week while classes are in session.

SEPS is available from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m., and a safe escort can be arranged by calling 407-823-2424.

SEPS drivers are vetted by UCFPD and operate out of the police department. Our priority is to keep everyone on campus safe, and SEPS provides a "buddy system" to ensure that people on campus don't have to walk alone at night.

Two Greek organizations are teaming up next week to raise money for the UCF Police Department’s K-9 unit.

Delta Delta Delta and Sigma Chi organized a dinner and kickball tournament philanthropy.

The sorority will host dinner at the Tri Delta house starting at 4 p.m. Participants and spectators will migrate over to Lake Claire, where 16 teams will compete to be kickball champs.