UConn Names New Chief Of Police

STORRS, CT — Gerald Lewis Jr., the chief of police and associate vice president of public safety at The University of Texas at San Antonio, has been selected as the next chief of police at the UConn Police Department, President Thomas C. Katsouleas announced Wednesday.

Lewis has three decades' worth of experience in public safety, including 26 years in the New Jersey State Police and two years as chief of the East Carolina University Police Department before moving to UTSA in 2016, UConn officials said.

Lewis was selected after a highly "competitive nationwide search," officials said. The UConn Police Department has 100 sworn police officers assigned to seven campuses across the state.

He will begin at UConn on July 1.

"We could not be more honored and delighted that Chief Lewis will be joining UConn," Katsouleas said. "He brings extensive experience and a deep commitment to partnering with constituencies throughout our campuses.

"He also has a proven record of including and honoring all voices and viewpoints, knowing as we do that ensuring public safety is a community-wide endeavor. His experience, enthusiasm, and dedication to public safety make him a perfect fit to lead the UConn Police Department as it continues to pursue excellence."

UConn officials said Lewis earned praise for his work as UTSA’s police chief by "making significant strides in expanding and improving services for campus security, providing easy-to-use methods to notify police of locations needing safety enhancements, and opening additional avenues for reporting campus crimes."

UConn officials said Lewis "also prizes community involvement and building meaningful relationships with other members of the campus community, who have joked that walking with him to meetings at UTSA always required building in extra time so he could check in with students and colleagues as he encountered them."

Lewis said that's just him being him.

“When I’m out and about, I meet people pretty easily and truly enjoy talking with everyone. I’m already planning in my head about setting up meetings with UConn students groups, faculty and staff groups, and other stakeholders once I arrive," Lewis said this week, noting he also is excited to spend time at the regional campuses and get to know "all that Connecticut has to offer."