Colorado State wants every member of the University community to help create the safest and most equitable university possible; an outside firm was hired last year to work with a search committee to identify finalists for the University’s chief of police.
An open forum for the finalist will be held from 11:15 a.m. to noon on Thursday, July 21, in person at the Lory Student Center in Room 226-228 and also will be available virtually.
“The search committee is pleased with the quality of candidates who have been part of the search to date, and to bring a quality candidate to campus after a rigorous process to engage with our community,” said Craig Chesson, assistant vice president for Student Affairs and Dean of Students. “The safety for our community is the university’s most precious charge, and the next chief will play a critical role in providing the department direction to achieve their goals and promote the University’s values. We encourage students, faculty and staff to attend the open session or review the recording and provide feedback about the final candidate; your input is critical to our final decision.”
A link to the open forum session and information about the finalist will be posted on the search website on July 18. A rating form will be available on the site for feedback, which must be provided by the end of the day July 21. A recording will be posted for those who could not attend.
The chief is expected to continue to build university and community partnerships; support the university’s values of inclusion, diversity and excellence; and foster a department culture and mission that are proactive and safety-focused.
The finalist was selected as part of a national search for the University’s next chief of police. The University partnered with the International Association of Chiefs of Police, an organization secured by CSU to manage the search process and identify the ideal candidate for the position.
The chief position was vacated in 2020 when former Chief Scott Harris retired. Wendy Rich-Goldschmidt, who had previously served as chief from 2009 to 2013, agreed to temporarily step away from semi-retirement as a consultant and step into the role of interim chief for two years until December 2021. Capt. Frank Johnson is currently interim chief until the position is filled, which is slated to be by the start of the fall semester.
The national search focused on identifying candidates who are committed to a guardianship policing model, which is a model that is focused on providing education and seeking community participation, while stressing student health, safety, retention and academic success.
The job description is available here.
