UNC announced Brian James, the current Chief of the Greensboro Police Department, is going to be its next campus police chief.

The university shared the selection through a Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz letter sent to the campus community Friday morning. James, who said earlier this year he would be retiring from his position in Greensboro after 26 years on the force, will replace interim UNC Police Chief Rahsheem Holland.

“In our recruitment for a new police chief,” wrote Guskiewicz, “the search committee made it the highest priority not just to find someone with police and safety experience, but also to find a leader who puts the community first and has a history of developing relationships within their community. I am confident that Chief James upholds these values.”

UNC Police was left without a permanent chief when David Perry resigned from the role last July. Perry, who was the university’s first Black police chief, was on the job for less than two years after spending several decades as the Florida State campus police chief. UNC placed him on administrative leave in May — shortly after a series of audits into the university police department were conducted and ultimately found violations of UNC policies and financial mismanagement. A redacted audit provided to news outlets in the summer of 2021 did not mention Perry by name.

James worked his way through the ranks of Greensboro’s police department after graduating with degrees from Pfeiffer University and North Carolina A&T. Among other positions, he worked as deputy chief of the police patrol bureau, deputy chief of the police investigative bureau, deputy chief of the police support bureau, captain of the resource management division and more.

Guskiewicz said James’ track record of securing mental health resources for the Greensboro community and his team, as well as participation in community discussions about the role of policing, helped inform the selection.

“At Carolina,” the chancellor wrote, “he will work to continue bridging and developing relationships between UNC Police and members of the campus and local community. Chief James believes that great relationships and trust building will be the cornerstone to our shared success. He will also focus on the retention of current staff and recruitment of top applicants to ensure we maintain a high quality of service to the Carolina community.”

Guskiewicz said Holland will remain as part of the UNC Police Department, returning to his prior position of captain and assisting James with the transition to police chief. James will begin his new role effective July 1, according to the university.

 

Photo via the City of Greensboro.

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