The UW Oshkosh Police Department officially moved into its new headquarters at Lincoln Hall in May. 

According to UWOPD, the relocation to the modern facility comes after months of planning and construction, marking a significant milestone for the university’s law enforcement and the community it serves.

“Our new police department location makes far better use of space than our previous facility,” UWOPD Chief Chris Tarmann said. “It provides a more professional environment for both police officers and community service officers, something our old location lacked.” 

Since 2021, UWOPD has operated out of its cramped headquarters in the basement of Radford Hall. Originally built as a dormitory and converted into offices in the 1960s, Radford Hall, among other campus buildings, was described by university officials as being “beyond their useful lives” and “no longer needed.” The Student Health Center, the lone remaining occupant of Radford Hall, is expected to also move to Lincoln Hall in spring 2026 in preparation for Radford’s demolition. 

The new facility on the spacious second floor of Lincoln Hall is a significant upgrade in both form and function. Lincoln Hall was originally an elementary school that the Oshkosh School District closed in 2009. UWO purchased the building in 2010 and remodeled it to house the Lifelong Learning and Community Engagement and Children’s Learning and Care Center. These departments closed in 2023 due to budget cuts, leaving the second floor vacant and available for the police department.

The  headquarters features a new dispatch center, a larger evidence storage facility, dedicated interview rooms, and modern cubicles for officer work areas. This improved layout is expected to streamline operations by bringing all the necessary equipment under one roof. Previously, evidence storage, interview rooms and an intoximeter — which is used for operating while intoxicated cases — were located at a substation on High Avenue, next to Blackhawk Commons, another former headquarters. 

Anyone needing assistance from the Police Department can call 920-424-1212 to speak with a dispatcher or use the chat function on the UWO mobile app. The police department lobby is located inside door three of Lincoln Hall, across the street from Scott Hall. Other resources that Chief Tarmann would like students to know about can be found on the UWO Police Department page under “services.”