Chief's Greeting
Dear Harvard Community,
Safety is more than a profession to me; it is a vocation. Throughout a career spanning nearly three decades of service in both municipal communities and university communities like Harvard, I have learned that people deserve more than a police department that responds to crime or works to prevent it. They deserve a police department that is truly part of the community it serves, a department they know, a department that listens, and a department they trust.
That trust is built through relationships. It is built when members of a community know that they do not have to wait until something goes wrong to call upon their police department, because their police department is already standing alongside them. Public safety is something we create together every day, and for those of us who wear a badge and have been entrusted with the authority to serve this community as safety professionals, our primary responsibility is clear: to do everything we can to keep the people we serve safe.
Since becoming Chief of the Harvard University Police Department in January, I have had the opportunity to begin building those relationships across this community. I have met students, faculty, staff, and colleagues who care deeply about Harvard and about one another. Those conversations have strengthened my conviction that the strongest approach to public safety is one we build together, and one that is always committed to continuous improvement.
Community-oriented policing is at the center of that commitment. It means being present. It means listening. It means taking action when concerns are raised. And most importantly, it means never losing sight of the tremendous responsibility that comes with wearing this badge: upholding the mission and values behind it and remaining steadfast in our commitment to the safety of every member of this community.
Harvard is a safe campus, but we will never take that safety for granted. Safety requires vigilance, engagement, partnership, and a willingness to continuously examine how we can do better. We will continue to strengthen and improve the people, practices, technology, partnerships, and other safety resources that support this campus. We will remain vigilant. We will remain engaged with every part of this community. And we will continue looking for ways to do even more to protect those who live, learn, work, and visit here.
This report is one way we keep our community informed and prepared. I encourage you to take a few minutes to review the information and resources it provides and to keep them in mind should you or someone around you ever need them.
One of our greatest strengths as a community is our ability to remain connected to one another. The reality is that members of our community will often see, hear, or know something before we do. If there is something you believe we should know, something you believe we can do better, an area where you see an opportunity for improvement, or simply an idea you would like to share or build with us, I want to hear from you. Please reach out to me at chief@hupd.harvard.edu.
I am honored to serve as your Chief of Police. It is a privilege, and I take both that privilege and the responsibility that comes with it seriously. I remain committed to ensuring that the Harvard University Police Department is a trusted partner in keeping this community safe while helping our community continue to grow, strengthen, and pursue excellence together.