Ten finalists in search for Public Safety head

The Division of Public Safety will have a new vice president by February, Executive Vice President John Fry said yesterday. The search committee, which is led by Fry, has received more than 50 applications for the post, vacated in October by Thomas Seamon. The vice president of Public Safety oversees the University Police, Special Services and Fire and Occupational Safety. After reviewing the applications, the committee has narrowed the pool down to 10 candidates, who will be interviewed within the next month. The only internal candidate of the 50 applicants is University Police Chief Maureen Rush, whom Fry said is one of the top 10 candidates. "She will definitely be among the people we interview," Fry said. "Maureen Rush, at her tenure at Penn, has done a tremendous job." After the search committee interviews the 10 candidates, its members will narrow the pool to between three and five people, who will be interviewed by various University committees. When a final choice is selected, that person will be interviewed by University President Judith Rodin. Rush has been acting as interim vice president since Seamon's departure at the end of October. If Rush assumes the position on a permanent basis, Penn Police will have to start searching for a new chief. According to Rush, if she is promoted, all lieutenants, captains and deputy chiefs will be eligible to apply for the job. "We will fill from within if we decide to go with Maureen [for vice president]," Fry said. "We've worked very hard in the last five years to build some real capacity in that organization." An obvious candidate for the job is Deputy Chief of Operations Michael Fink, who has moved into Rush's office and is acting as chief while she serves as interim vice president. Fink is currently the second-highest ranking police department employee, right behind Rush. "If the chief is promoted, I would definitely apply and submit a resume for the position," Fink said. And former Deputy Chief of Investigations Thomas King, who left the department yesterday for a position at Haverford College, said Fink would be an effective chief of police. "He's eminently qualified, not only on paper, but his temperament is ideally suited for this job," King said. "He's got a long and prosperous future here in this department.... I have no doubt he'll be chief someday, if not managing director or vice president." Rush said that, if it is necessary to conduct a search for a new chief, the department will conduct the process "as quickly as possible." She also emphasized that there would be no rush to find a permanent chief. "Mike Fink is the acting chief right now and doing a great job," she said. The appointment of a new vice president will be only the latest in a series of major administrative changes the division has seen this semester. In September, the division folded its Security Services Department, outsourcing security tasks and firing Security Services head Stratis Skoufalos. Seamon stepped down in October to become the CEO of TrainLogic, Inc., a new security training and consulting firm. And King's departure has left another void. Det. Supervisor William Danks is serving as deputy chief on an interim basis until a permanent replacement for King is selected.