Northeastern University has appointed Michael Davis as director of public safety. According to the school, he will serve in a critically important position as the university’s programs and people expand across the nation and around the world.
Currently the chief of police in Brooklyn Park, Minn., Davis brings a proven track record of more than 20 years in law enforcement.
Davis will oversee all aspects of Northeastern’s Public Safety Division, which includes police, security, crime prevention, fire safety and emergency medical services.
As chief of police for Brooklyn Park, Minnesota’s sixth-largest and second-most-diverse city, Davis implemented strategies to reduce reported and violent crimes to the city’s lowest rates in 21 years. Davis was previously a member of the Minneapolis Police Department.
Davis is a two-time graduate of Concordia University with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s degree in organizational management. He was a member of the 2011–2014 Harvard Executive Session on Policing and Public Safety, and the recipient of the 2012 Gary P. Hayes Award from the Police Executive Research Forum, an internationally recognized research organization that promotes leadership and best practices in policing.
Davis will join Northeastern on Nov. 1. He will succeed D. Joseph Griffin, who announced his retirement last year after more than 35 years of service at Northeastern.
