Dear OU Community,
The safety and security of our students, faculty, staff, and all who visit our campuses is our university’s No. 1 priority. That’s why today, I am excited to announce that Derek Fuller has accepted the position of Chief of Police and Associate Vice President of the University of Oklahoma. Derek will begin his duties October 13.
In this role, Derek will provide leadership for all police and public safety functions across the university in collaboration with the Deputy Chiefs of Police on each campus. He will be directly responsible for integrated police and security operations to ensure the safety of our campus community and will serve as the primary liaison between the department and university leadership to external law enforcement agencies, the communities in which our campuses reside, and additional contracted security services. Priorities will include ongoing development of risk mitigation strategies, emergency preparedness and crisis response, and community-oriented policing practices.
Formerly the Chief of Public Safety and Associate Vice Chancellor at Alamo Colleges Police Department in San Antonio, Texas, Derek led the fourth-largest police department in the San Antonio metropolitan area where he was responsible for risk management and public safety across five college campuses. In this role, he improved training programs and enhanced operational efficiencies, fostered community engagement, and ensured the department’s policies followed current national best practices.
Prior to joining Alamo Colleges, Derek spent 25 years at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, most recently as an Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge, where he led a team of 150 special agents, staff, and police and task force officers focused on investigating various criminal activities, including homicides, organized crime, violent gangs, and human trafficking. He has extensive background in leading complex investigations and collaborating with multiple agencies to help ensure public safety. Derek is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and has served as a Naval Flight Officer.
Please join me in welcoming Derek to the University of Oklahoma and extending our support to him in his new role.
Live On, University,
Joseph Harroz, Jr.
President
