Chief of police search committee announces final candidate presentation

LAWRENCE — The third and final candidate for the next University of Kansas chief of police and director of public safety will take part in campus interviews Friday, June 4.

The search committee, led by Callie Long, associate vice provost for operations, invites the campus community to watch a virtual public presentation by each candidate and submit questions. The search began after current Chief of Police Chris Keary announced internally his intent to retire this year.

The chief of police and director of public safety is responsible for providing leadership and direction for all operations of the Office of Public Safety. The next police chief will formulate a strategic vision and mission for the department, develop policies and make policy and procedural decisions of the department related to the operation and delivery of police services and the security of the university. The individual will implement procedures for enforcement of agency regulations, state and federal laws and local ordinances. The chief of police is expected to work toward creating a diverse staff that contributes to a campuswide culture of care and helps everyone in the KU community feel they belong.

All candidates have been asked to present their thoughts on “Police Reform on a University Campus.” The remaining candidate presentation schedule:

• June 4, 1:45-2:45 p.m.

Registration is required for all presentation viewers, and participation is limited to the first 300 registrants. Questions from viewers will be moderated and presented by search committee members.

The final candidate, Rodney Chatman, has been chief of police of the Department of Public Safety for the University of Utah since 2020. Previously, Chatman served as executive director of public safety at the University of Dayton. From 2005 to 2016, he was an officer at the University of Cincinnati, where he rose to the level of captain and oversaw the department’s professional standards. He earned both a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Cincinnati. His resume is available for review on the search webpage.

The first two candidates – Terence Calloway, chief of police at Florida A&M University, and Nelson Mosley, chief of police for Rose Hill – were announced earlier this week.

Search committee chair Long and other members of the committee invite the campus community to provide feedback on the candidates by June 13. A link for the feedback form is available on the search webpage.