Donna Grossi became Chatham University’s new of chief of police in November. The position was previously held by Veronica Townsend.

Grossi has experience in police work, making her well equipped for her new role. She has 12 years of experience in municipal police work and 14 years of experience in campus policing.

“I think having the opportunity to experience both fields gives me a better awareness of the safety needs on campus. My experience as a field training officer and police sergeant have contributed to my skills as a supervisor,” Grossi said.

The position of chief of police involves overseeing the police and transportation department, along with parking. The chief of police is also the chair of the safety committee. 

As for her plans for Chatham, Grossi is motivated to continue to serve the Chatham community as much as possible.

“My focus has always been community relations. Often police are called to interact with individuals in crisis,” she said.

She believes that clearly understanding the community and all of its needs are important in order to be a successful police chief.

“Taking time to realize that that’s not a normal day for most people is critical to effective police operations. Connecting people to resources to help them recover from a situation as quickly and effectively as possible is important to me.”

As for what initially motivated her to become chief of police, Grossi said that she “hoped to serve as a point of positive interaction between law enforcement and the communities [she] served.

“Currently, I’m spending time meeting with different organizations on campus to shine some light on who we are, what we do and how we can assist.” 

As for what she will focus on as  the new chief of police, Grossi plans on focusing on evaluating campus safety, along with receiving feedback from students and departments. An additional focus includes campus parking procedures and processes. Based on feedback and evaluations, she will make improvements in the identified areas.

“Being new to my position, I’m investing a lot of time familiarizing myself with different processes so I can identify areas needing improvement,” she said.

The police department at Chatham is a helpful resource for the community. Police officers will continue to be on-duty 24/7. To contact the department for assistance, call 412-365-1230 (non-emergency) and 412-365-1111 (emergency).