Anthony Harrison, former Butler University senior patrol officer, was sworn in as chief of Purdue University Fort Wayne’s University Police at a ceremony on Tuesday afternoon. Harrison replaces Tim Potts, who retired in January after six years as head of a 13-person staff.

“I am pleased to have Anthony Harrison join PFW as the new chief of police,” said Glen Nakata, PFW’s vice chancellor for financial and administrative affairs. “This is the culmination of a national recruiting effort—aided by our strong internal committee and the executive search firm of Spelman Johnson—to identify an individual who not only possesses the type of experience we sought to strengthen the safety of our campus but also a clear understanding of collaboration with all of our campus stakeholders.”

Harrison is a graduate of Indiana University Indianapolis with a master’s degree in business administration from Indiana Wesleyan University, a graduate of the Indianapolis Metro Police Department Leadership Academy, and a senior instructor (master candidate) with the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy.

Harrison served with the Butler University Police Department since June 2017. As a senior patrol officer, he took pride in maintaining rapport with the campus community by actively instructing a Rape Aggression Defense class for female students and hosting a three-part educational series cosponsored by the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion division titled “Policing in America: The duty and burden of a minority police officer,” “Civilian Response to Active Threat,” and “Chasing the Dragon: The life of an opiate addict.”

Starting his career with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office in 2010, Harrison served as a lieutenant within the training academy and a community outreach division. Throughout his career, he has stressed the importance of training for officers and understands the significance of forming partnerships with community organizations, prioritizing transparency, actively pursuing feedback, and establishing programs that allow officers to engage with students outside of the law enforcement arena.

A former college baseball player, Harrison has also been heavily involved in community engagement throughout his peace officer career, serving as a board member for an Indianapolis YMCA, cochair of Junior Achievement Job Spark, a consultant and instructor at Hope Center Indy, and an instructor with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office community program “Through Our Eyes.”

Harrison is also a marching band dad, an avid golfer, and has a passion for Harley-Davidson motorcycles.