Chief of Police

Overview

Yale University seeks a dynamic, change-oriented Chief of Police to lead the Yale Police Department during a critical period of organizational transformation. This role requires a forward-thinking public safety executive who demonstrates a nuanced understanding of the differences between municipal and campus policing and can effectively operate at the intersection of higher education and public safety.

Reporting to senior University leadership within Public Safety, the Chief of Police plays a central role in advancing Yale’s mission, values, and commitment to safety, equity, accountability, and public transparency. The Chief will guide cultural and organizational change, strengthen trust across campus and with the City of New Haven, and continue to evolve Yale’s fit-for-purpose differential response model—ensuring the appropriate integration of police, security, student services, and mental-health resources.

The Chief of Police provides leadership to both a union and non-unionized workforce.

This position demands a visible leader with impeccable integrity, intellectual curiosity, and political acumen, capable of managing campus climate, large-scale events, and complex stakeholder expectations while maintaining professionalism, innovation, and trust.

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• Demonstrated ability to distinguish and balance the unique demands of campus policing and municipal law enforcement environments.
• Proven success building inclusive teams and shaping integrated responses across police, security, student services, and mental-health resources.
• Strong change-management skills with the ability to design, implement, and evaluate modern policing and public safety models.
• Exceptional integrity, sound judgment, curiosity, and a collaborative, team-oriented leadership style.
• High level of political awareness and organizational savvy, with the ability to navigate complex stakeholder environments.
• Experience managing in a union environment.
• Commitment to transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with municipal, state, and judicial partners.

• Master’s degree in Criminal Justice, Public Safety Administration, Criminology, or a related field.
• Senior command-level experience in campus policing or a municipal police department closely integrated with a higher-education environment.
• Demonstrated success leading organizational or cultural transformation initiatives.
• Executive-level law enforcement training (e.g., FBI National Academy, Police Staff and Command College, IACP leadership programs, or equivalent).
• Experience managing large-scale campus events, protests, demonstrations, and complex crisis situations.

• Provide strategic leadership and overall direction for the Yale Police Department, including sworn officers, professional staff, and civilian personnel.
• Lead organizational and cultural transformation efforts that modernize policing practices, reinforce accountability, and support a broadly inclusive workplace culture.
• Demonstrate a nuanced understanding of campus versus municipal policing environments, and apply that understanding to policy, staffing, and operational decisions.
• Foster an integrated public safety culture that aligns police operations with security, emergency management, student services, and mental-health partners.
• Model impeccable integrity, ethical leadership, curiosity, and openness to innovation while promoting a team-focused, learning-oriented organization.
• Navigate labor relations, collective bargaining agreements, and workforce planning with transparency, fairness, and strategic foresight.
• Serve as a visible and trusted leader within the department and across the University community.

• Direct comprehensive police operations to protect life, property, and University assets while respecting individual rights and civil liberties.
• Continue to evolve Yale’s differential response model through structured planning, procedural updates, staff training, community engagement, and rigorous evaluation, ensuring responses are fit-for-purpose.
• Oversee…