With students coming back to campus and the first week of classes commencing, newly hired UNC chief of police Brian James says he is excited to build community trust and keep the school safe this semester.
James began his role as UNC chief of police on July 1. He held the chief police position at the Greensboro Police Department where he served for over 26 years.
James, a Greensboro native, graduated from North Carolina A&T before beginning his career in law enforcement.
During his time with the city of Greensboro, he improved mental health resources and implemented a program to help teenagers gain employment.
James told 97.9 The Hill as chief of UNC police, he wants to ensure he is accessible to students and faculty.
“We want to make sure we start out by building those great relationships,” James said. “I believe policing anywhere is really founded on your relationship with the community that you serve.”
James added he is looking for creative ways to connect with the campus. He said with more than 30,000 students and approximately 16,000 employees, police communication with UNC is critical to keep the community safe.
“We certainly want to make sure that we provide safety first and foremost, but I believe the best way to provide that safety is having an open line of communication, because the students, the faculty and the staff are the ones that are here,” James said.
UNC police have been no stranger to controversies in the last decade. James said he wants to address any distrust of campus police and communication issues.
“Oftentimes, we are doing things the public may not understand, and I believe if we have those conversations in advance, then we build a relationship — we build an understanding and we also create an opportunity to communicate after an incident,” James said.
James is replacing former UNC police chief David Perry, who resigned in 2021 after being placed on administrative leave. He served in the role for less than two years after previous chief Jeff McCracken held the position for more than a decade.
Shortly after Perry’s resignation, several complaints were made about misallocated funds and misuse of police vehicles.
UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz, who was in charge during Perry’s term, said in a press release he is confident James will have the same positive impact on the community as he did for more than two decades in Greensboro.
James said he is excited to meet UNC students as they return to campus and is grateful to serve UNC and the broader community. When he was introduced to the Board of Trustees in May, he revealed another reason he was looking forward to his new role.
“In case you’re wondering, I’ve already been a UNC fan since I was about 12 years old,” James said. “I already had UNC gear in the closet, so I’m looking forward to adding to that collection.”
Photo via the City of Greensboro.
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