The University tapped 27-year police veteran Mark Dorsey as the new chief of the University of Pennsylvania Police Department yesterday, capping a four-month process that began after the abrupt resignation of the former chief.
Dorsey, currently the director of security and safety at nearby La Salle University, will start work at Penn on Nov. 1.
"I'm very excited," Dorsey said. "I think it's a great opportunity."
The position had been vacant since former Chief Tom Rambo left the UPPD after 18 years of service on June 9.
Dorsey has been at La Salle for the last year, previous to which he spent a year as the public safety director for Lakewood, N.J. A Philadelphia native, he spent the first 25 years of his career serving with the Philadelphia Police Department in a variety of roles, including captain of the 15th Police District and inspector of the PPD Narcotics Strike Force.
Dorsey also has considerable experience with the area surrounding campus, having served in the city's 19th Police District, which covers West Philadelphia.
As director of the PPD's dignitary protection detail, Dorsey worked with Penn officials to help coordinate the visits of former Chinese President Jiang Zemin, former Vice President Al Gore and Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) to campus.
"He truly understands the Philadelphia community," said Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush, who made the final decision to hire Dorsey. "I believe Mark is going to bring the big-picture perspective he has from the Philadelphia Police."
"He brings to the table a wealth of experience," Rush continued. "He has to learn Penn, and he will."
Dorsey believes that his time at La Salle has helped prepare him for his new post, saying that it gave him a chance "to experience the college environment," specifically in reference to dealing with faculty, staff and students.
Rush echoed Dorsey's remarks in this regard, saying that one of the main reasons she chose him for the position was that it was "clear to all of us that he understands that the policing model for a university is different."
Dorsey, who described himself as a frequent visitor to Franklin Field and the Palestra, said that he was drawn to Penn by the reputations of both the school and its police department.
Chosen from an application pool of nearly 75 people, Dorsey was one of only 11 candidates to be granted an interview with Rush and her seven-person leadership team from the Division of Public Safety. After the interviews, Rush and her team narrowed down the field to two finalists.
The finalists then went before the Division of Public Safety's Advisory Board and the University Council's Safety and Security Committee. Both of these committees, which included undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and area residents, unanimously recommended Dorsey's hire to Rush.
"We look forward to Mark starting with us," Rush said. "He will fit like a glove."
