U of U announces hiring of new police chief

Rodney Chatman. Photo: University of Utah

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Jan. 9, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — The University of Utah has announced a new chief of police of the Department of Public Safety.

Their pick is Rodney Chatman, currently executive director of public safety and chief of police at the University of Dayton in Ohio. Chatman will assume his new role on Feb. 17. He will report to Marlon C. Lynch, the U’s newly hired chief safety officer.

“Rodney is an experienced law enforcement leader who has a deep understanding of campus policing,” said Ruth V. Watkins, president of the University of Utah, in a prepared statement.

“He is committed to best practices, community engagement and relationship building and is the ideal candidate to lead and guide change in our Department of Public Safety. Rodney is particularly recognized for effectiveness in building partnerships with students to enhance safety.”

An outside search firm hired by the U received more than 50 applicants for the chief of police position. Fourteen candidates were presented to the U’s search committee, which then interviewed six applicants before narrowing the pool to three finalists. The finalists met with various campus stakeholders and participated in open campus forums in December.

At the University of Dayton, Chatman oversees police, parking, emergency response and emergency medical service, the U statement says. Chatman previously served as a police officer and then captain at the University of Cincinnati, where he supervised a staff of nearly 100 police, security and emergency communications personnel. At Cincinnati, Chatman also was a liaison to the Threat Assessment Team, the Student of Concern Committee and the Bias Incident Response Team.

Chatman’s prior experience includes service as a police officer for the cities of Silverton and St. Bernard in Ohio, the statement said. At St. Bernard, he also spent four years as the safety director, overseeing the city’s fire and police departments while simultaneously serving at the University of Cincinnati.

Chatman succeeds Dale Brophy, who retired in October 2019.

“My ultimate goal as chief is to build trust between the police and the community — staff, faculty and particularly students,” Chatman said in the released statement. “It will be vital to hear specific concerns and understand what success looks like from their perspective. Students need to know that the police chief wants to hear their voice and wants to begin the process of healing from past and present hurts.

“I also am looking forward to meeting with members of the Department of Public Safety, which has talented men and women doing great work,” Chatman said.

“I want to build on that. We will work together to create a positive, responsive culture and strategize how to positively affect change that will draw accolades on campus, in the community and across the nation.”

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