Matthew Carmichael, currently chief of police at the University of California, Davis, will be the new chief for the University of Oregon Police Department. He is expected to start in Eugene on Sept. 12, pending completion of administrative paperwork.

“My family and I are beyond excited to join the UO community in Eugene,” Carmichael said. “With a relatively new police department, the university has a great opportunity to become a national leader in campus safety and policing, and it’s an honor for me to participate in that effort.”

Carmichael has been the chief at UC Davis since 2011 and served the school as a police lieutenant starting in 2002. His 30-year law enforcement career started with 16 years with the city of Pinole, California, police department.

At UC Davis, Carmichael established numerous initiatives to connect the department more closely to students and the campus community and to improve security on campus. These include: a student advisory council to build ties with students; an independent police advisory board, which addresses complaints of misconduct by officers; a student cadet program that has produced recent police officer hires with exceptional campus pedigrees; and a global liaison unit that works with international students on campus, and those from underrepresented groups.

Located near the California state capital of Sacramento, UC Davis has more than 35,000 students, including nearly 8,000 campus residents. The police department employs 50 sworn officers, along with nonsworn staff, and 120 student security assistants.

"The University of Oregon is committed to providing a safe environment, educating our students, faculty and staff about safety and crime prevention, and working together to solve public safety challenges," UO Vice President for Finance and Administration Jamie Moffitt said. “We are thrilled that Matthew Carmichael will be joining campus as our next police chief, as he is experienced, enthusiastic and dedicated to community policing in a university setting."

Carmichael was selected out of 30 national applicants for the position, and he visited the UO on July 15 as one of three finalists. He becomes the second police chief in the school’s brief history in law enforcement, following the February retirement of former Chief Carolyn McDermed.

"Chief Carmichael has proven experience leading a major campus department through change," said Andre Le Duc, associate vice president for safety and risk services and chief resilience officer, who oversees the police department. "He clearly understands, embraces and has developed successful campus engagement and community policing models at his former campus."

The UO launched the first sworn campus police department in the state of Oregon in 2012. The department currently employs 20 sworn police personnel, 23 nonsworn staff and (during the academic year) about 15 student security assistants.

—By Kelly McIver, Enterprise Risk Services