UT Police Department swears in first female, Asian American chief
AUSTIN, Texas - The University of Texas at Austin has administered the oath of office to Eve Stephens, the new chief of police and assistant vice president of campus security.
Stephens is the first woman and the first Asian American to serve as the UT Police Department's chief of police, succeeding former chief David Carter, who died last year after a battle with cancer.
Prior to her new role with UTPD, Stephens served in numerous leadership roles within the Austin Police Department for nearly 24 years, working as a detective in the department's Child Abuse, Internal Affairs and Financial Crimes units before rising to the roles of staffing lieutenant, APD Training Academy lieutenant and commander of more than 110 sworn officers in the North Central Patrol Bureau.
"As Austin and our University continue to evolve and grow, UT's highest operational priority will always be ensuring the safety and well-being of our students, faculty and staff members, and University guests," UT Austin president Jay Hartzell said. "Chief Stephens brings to the role a deep understanding and expertise about our city's safety and security needs, as well as relationships within APD that can help us deepen our partnership and collective efforts to protect our campus community. I am confident Chief Stephens is the right person to lead this important change as we continue setting the standard for the next generation of residential universities, where we collectively learn, live and work."
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Chief Stephens graduated summa cum laude from Sam Houston State University with a B.A. in criminal justice and a minor in Spanish, holds a Master of Public Safety from the University of Virginia, and graduated from the FBI National Academy and is a certified mental health officer with the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.
"I am honored and privileged to lead the great men and women of this police force and serve The University of Texas Austin n the center of this dynamic city," Stephens said. "My vision for the University of Texas Police Department is that we serve with professionalism, compassion and integrity, do our part to keep our campuses safe and free from fear of crime through evidence-based strategies and community engagement, and collaborate with the public, our partners and University employees and students to provide the safest University experience possible."
Stephens becomes the sixth chief in UTPD's history.
Assistant Police Chief Peter Scheets most recently served the department as interim police chief.