Wayne Pittman, chief of Samford police, retired late last month. Scott Leigh was chosen as the interim chief.
While the position is vacant, a third party will conduct a full review of the public safety department at Samford, according to Kim Brown, vice president for operations and campus initiatives.
“I believe that anytime a position is vacant it offers a time of retrospective and opportunity to think through what is needed for the future,” Brown said. “So, I want to use this leadership transition as an opportunity to conduct a review of the Public Safety department.”
The evaluation will be conducted by the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators, an organization that provides accreditation, training and tools for campus police departments.
“I will use what I learn from the review to help frame the search for our next Chief,” Brown said. “I expect to kick off the search sometime in the summer and would expect to name a new chief in the Fall. I will invite students to be a part of the interview process.”
As interim chief, Leigh has several goals he would like to accomplish for campus and the public safety department.
“The primary goal for myself as interim chief is to maintain the highest level of security for the university and the safety all students/faculty and visitors that come aboard,” Leigh said.
During the interim period, the department will go through the process of upgrading cameras and door access readers throughout campus.
“I am working to upgrade some of our equipment and training for our officers because there is always new technology coming out that would help us be more proficient in our role,” Leigh said.
Once a new chief has been chosen, an official announcement will be made by the university.
