He may not look like Sylvester Stallone, but Rambo is now in charge of Penn's police department.
Thomas Rambo, that is.
Previously a lieutenant for the University of Pennsylvania Police Department, Rambo was named the new chief of police last week.
"I'm ecstatic," he said of receiving the UPPD's highest position. "It's an honor that the vice president [for public safety] has selected me, and from the inside of the department."
Rambo was one of only two candidates who applied for the job. And under the application criteria set forth by Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush, all applicants had to be current members of the Division of Public Safety -- the umbrella organization under which the police department falls.
"We have such a strong bench in place that we were able to hire from within," Rush said.
"That tells a lot about the quality of the people that work in the Division," Rambo added.
The other candidate to apply for the post was another member of the police department, Lieutenant Gerald Leddy.
As to why he wanted the job in the first place, Rambo said, "It's a wonderful opportunity to anybody who works in an organization like this. You want an opportunity to help that organization move through their mission."
"I think that I can lead the department towards that direction, to help it continue in that direction," he added.
Rush, who was only appointed to her position in May, was in charge of selecting the new police chief -- a position she most recently filled.
"Tom has the full support of the Division of Public Safety, as well as the entire Penn community," Rush said. "He also works closely with West Philadelphia groups, and I'm sure his tenure will be marked with many successes."
With less than a week under his belt, Rambo is still getting acclimated to the new job.
"Right now I just want to meet with the [division's] unit heads, discuss their perspectives and get their viewpoints," he said.
"This is a transition period, so we'll decide what direction to take later on. But I can't wait to tackle the many opportunities that are coming up," Rambo added.
According to Rush, Rambo has always been a "take charge kind of person" and a "great leader."
"On his own, Tom has taken on assignments, and when he has seen problems, has brought solutions to the table. He's very proactive," Rush said. "While he is very technically oriented, he has the ability to understand nontechnical issues as well. He shows an aptitude for dealing with humanistic problems."
"Tom has earned the respect and trust of both his subordinate officers and his supervisors," she added.
Rush began the search for the new chief earlier this summer, shortly after she herself was promoted from chief of police to vice president for public safety -- a position she had been filling on an interim basis for six months.
Filling her job on an interim basis was Deputy Chief of Operations Michael Fink. Fink made it clear from the outset that he intended to apply for the position of chief, yet his name was notably absent from the short list of applicants.
"Mike had personal reasons for not wanting to take on the position at this time," Rush said. "But he remains a committed and very valuable member of the UPPD command staff."
Fink was on vacation this week, and therefore could not be reached for comment.
Rush devised an extensive list of requirements for prospective applicants. Applicants needed to have a bachelor's degree, have spent three years at a command level within the division and have excellent written and verbal communication skills.
In addition to these requirements, applicants were also required to have graduated from one of three prestigious police command institutions, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Academy or Northwestern University's School of Police Staff and Command -- the program which Rambo has completed.
Rush said that making the final decision was difficult.
"Tom's appointment does not negate some of the other candidate's potential, and some of the other people who didn't apply's potential," she said.
"He will be working with other men and women in the Department who have exceptionally good leadership abilities. It will make for a very strong command staff," she said.
