Maggie Young
   News Editor

James Herring, UNC-Greensboro’s Chief of Police, retired at the end of last year after eight years as chief and 28 years as a UNCG officer.

At the beginning of this year, Rollin Donelson, Associate Vice Chancellor for Safety and Risk management, was selected to be UNCG’s interim chief while the search for a candidate for the permanent position is underway.

The Office of Safety and Risk Management program promises to “create a safe and secure environment for the faculty, staff, students and visitors” while working with UNCG’s police force to do so.

The UNCG police and the Office of Safety and Risk Management are constantly pursuing ways to remain innovative in order to provide a safe environment conducive to learning. The past few years students have seen UNCG’s police force develop new ways to keep students safe and informed through the use of technology; most notably is the LiveSafe app that was implemented back in August of 2015.

For a new Chief of Police, the university has expressed a desire for “a public safety leader with significant understanding of the most current technological processes.”

Donelson’s time as the Vice Chancellor, though not his only position during his time at UNCG, has provided him with a familiarity with UNCG’s goals and inner workings — just one of the reasons he was chosen to stand in as interim chief.

Donelson also served as Chief of Police at UNCG between 2000 and 2008, the term before Herring took the position.

His time as interim chief will only last a few months at most, but with over 40 years of experience in higher education law enforcement and knowledge of UNCG and the UNC system, faith in his abilities is not lacking.

Chancellor Gilliam stated in a Campus Weekly note early this year that he is “confident [Donelson] will maintain the university’s high standards of service.”

Back in November, a search committee was created to begin the search for a new chief. Dean of students, Dr. Brett Carter, heads the committee in a search they hope will solidify a new chief by February.

Dr. Carter has worked in the past with the UNCG police with regards to student-police dialogues.

After evaluating several candidates for the position, UNCG held a meeting last Tuesday to select student forum interview representatives.This forum has been created in preparation for campus interviews; participants will have the opportunity to be involved with the assessment of various contenders for the position of Chief of Police.

Keeping with UNCG’s continuing efforts towards exceptionality and innovation, the university has articulated that the new chief should be someone who “possesses a vision for continuing to build a cutting-edge law enforcement agency with an emphasis on current trends and best public safety practices in a higher educational setting.”