KNOXVILLE — Gloria Graham, assistant chief of police at Duke University, has been named the chief of police for the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Police Department.
Graham, who has more than 15 years of campus law enforcement experience, will begin at UT Knoxville on Aug. 23.
“Gloria Graham brings a diversity of experience and knowledge to this new role. She will provide leadership to our campus police department which already exhibits high standards of professionalism and has a strong relationship with our campus community,” said Jeff Maples, senior associate vice chancellor for finance and administration. “We look forward to working with Gloria on enhancing the university’s initiatives to improve campus safety.”
Assistant police chief at Duke since 2007, Graham was directly responsible for oversight of police operations, including uniform patrol, criminal investigations and special event planning, in addition to security and police services within the Duke University Health System. She supervised 51 sworn police officers, 69 security officers and contract security staff.
She implemented a crime analysis and accountability program which resulted in more efficient deployment of resources and decreased incidents of reported crime. The program was highlighted during this year’s International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators national conference. She also has worked closely with members of the university community, including athletics and student affairs as well as the Durham community and local law enforcement agencies, to increase safety on and off campus.
“Campus law enforcement is a very special profession,” Graham said. “It epitomizes community policing. My first focus is going to be on learning as much about the men and women of UTPD and the University of Tennessee as possible. The police department has been recognized nationally as a professional organization and I’m honored to become a part of it. I hope to maintain the great things already being accomplished, and to solicit input from all facets of the community in order to develop goals and objectives to carry us forward.”
Graham began her career in law enforcement in 1995 as a police officer at Indiana State University (ISU). An Indiana native, she spent five years at ISU with the Department of Public Safety and founded the Crime Prevention Unit. She was appointed as the law enforcement chair of the Governor’s Coordinating Council and oversaw the department’s dangerous and impaired driving operations. While at ISU, she graduated in the top 10 percent of her class from the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy in 1998.
Her other campus law enforcement experience includes four years with the Florida Atlantic University Police Department in Boca Raton and three years with the University of Southern California (USC) Department of Public Safety in Los Angeles. As the Operations Captain at USC, Graham was recognized for her work with the student community, Los Angeles Police Department and City of Los Angeles. Among the many programs she coordinated at USC was a highly successful effort to deter burglary and thefts in residence halls and off-campus housing.
Graham, who has a bachelor’s degree in justice studies from North Carolina Wesleyan College, has received special training in threat assessment and mass shootings planning and response. She was chosen after a national search led by a committee representing the campus and area law enforcement community. Greg Reed, associate vice chancellor of research, served as the chair.
Graham replaces former chief August Washington who left in July 2009 to become chief of police and assistant vice chancellor at Vanderbilt University. Debbie Perry has been serving as the interim chief and will return to her previous role as assistant chief.
UTPD has 79 full-time staff, which includes 52 sworn officers. UTPD is also one of only 15 agencies nationwide accredited by both the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators and the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.
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C O N T A C T :
Rebekah Winkler (865-974-8304, rwinkler@utk.edu)
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