Georgia Tech faculty, staff, and students should never obstruct or interfere with any officer conducting law enforcement activities on Institute property.

Law enforcement on Georgia Tech's main campus is primarily the responsibility of the Georgia Tech Police Department (GTPD), but outside law enforcement officers — federal, state, or local — sometimes have reason to conduct law enforcement or other activities on Institute property. GTPD serves as the Institute’s primary liaison with outside law enforcement agencies. Georgia Tech prefers that outside law enforcement agencies coordinate with GTPD to establish the purpose of their activities on campus and to promote cooperation and campus safety, but this does not always happen.

Outside law enforcement agencies are generally permitted to conduct activities in publicly accessible areas.  If an outside law enforcement officer seeks to enter a non-publicly accessible area (defined below*) unaccompanied by GTPD or makes a request for Institute records, employees and students may do the following in a polite, calm, and professional manner:

  • Ask for the officer’s name, identification number, agency affiliation, and nature of the request, and identify yourself if requested.

  • Inform the officer that based on Georgia Tech guidance, you are contacting GTPD or—in the case of a request for records—the Georgia Tech Office of the General Counsel (OGC) to assist with the officer’s request (contact information below). You may also offer to connect the officer directly with GTPD and/or OGC to facilitate the officer’s request.

  • If the officer presents you with legal documents (such as a warrant or subpoena) directed to Georgia Tech, the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), or any related entity, state that you are not authorized by the Institute to accept service of legal documents on behalf of the Institute and refer the officer to OGC.

  • State that you are not authorized to provide information about students or employees or to give permission to access non-publicly accessible areas (except in cases of emergencies or threats to health and safety).

If an officer insists on carrying out enforcement activities before you can consult with GTPD or OGC, you should not interfere, but you should still contact GTPD or OGC. Without obstructing or interfering with the officer’s activities, we recommend that you document the interaction clearly and politely, including the following: date, time, details of the interaction, and if available, the agent's name, identification number, agency affiliation, and contact information. While video recording is generally permissible, the Institute does not recommend it. If appropriate, please also request the agent to wait in an area that does not expose confidential, proprietary, or export-controlled information.

When dealing with law enforcement on Georgia Tech property, you should never do any of the following:

  • Obstruct or interfere with an officer’s enforcement action or do anything to put yourself or others in danger.

  • Accept service of any document on behalf of the Institute or any related entity without approval from GTPD or OGC. (If an officer insists on handing you a document, you may physically receive the document while making clear that you are not authorized to accept or waive service on behalf of Georgia Tech.)

  • Recommend that an employee or student flee, hide, or evade a law enforcement officer or assist any employee or student in doing so.

  • Destroy or attempt to hide documents or advise anyone else to do so.

  • Provide false information.

Contact Information: 

  • Georgia Tech Police Department: 404-894-2500

  • Office of the General Counsel: 404-894-4812

 

* Non-Publicly Accessible Areas:  For purposes of this guidance, non-public areas of Georgia Tech's campus include areas where access to the public is prohibited or limited. Examples include buildings that can only be accessed with a Georgia Tech-issued ID card, buildings or spaces with locked doors and/or monitored entryways, student housing, classrooms, and other operational spaces not generally open to the public.

 

Note: The Institute cannot advise faculty, staff, or students regarding personal legal matters.