After almost a year of searching, Carlos Ortiz was named the University’s new Chief of Police, announced Mary Anne Nagy, Vice President for Student Life and Leadership Engagement, in a Feb. 15 email. Effective Monday, March 7, Ortiz will take on the duties of Chief of Police, which include overseeing all Monmouth University Police Department (MUPD) officers, creating policy and procedure rules, and developing community programs. Ortiz succeeds former Chief of Police William McElrath, who served the MUPD for 17 years before recently retiring.
According to Nagy, Ortiz possesses a wide range of experience in law enforcement for higher education communities, notably his 26 of experience with the Montclair State University Police Department as Lieutenant. “I was drawn to Monmouth University because of its commitment to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive environment and providing opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to grow as leaders and make an impact within and outside of the university,” explained Ortiz.
After McElrath’s retirement, a Search Committee was formed to assemble potential candidates for the position. The committee consisted of Shannon Killeen, Assistant Vice President for Student Life and Chair, David Schenck, Area Coordinator in Residential Life, Amy Arlequin, Deputy Title IX Coordinator, Jared Weiss, Assistant Director of Athletics, Jihad Johnson, Program Coordinator of the Intercultural Center, and Douglas Collier, Director of Professional Outreach and Engagement in the Department of Criminal Justice.
Composed of University professionals belonging to various departments, the committee was intentionally diverse so as to consider multiple perspectives when selecting candidates. During this time, however, Captain Dean Volpe was at the forefront of leading the MUPD. Nagy thanked him in her email, saying, “I am grateful to Captain Dean Volpe for his leadership of the Department over the past year or so and to each member of the University Police Department for the role they played in keeping our community safe as we went through the search process.”
In the fall, the committee began working with a robust pool of candidates, eventually narrowing down to four candidates after a series of Zoom interviews. Following this round of interviews, these candidates were then brought on to campus to meet with Monmouth University students and staff. “As I met students throughout the day, everyone shared fun and positive insight about their classroom experiences, on-campus activities, and campus life,” said Ortiz. “Those stories made a positive impact on me as a candidate in the selection process.”
The students and staff provided feedback to the Search Committee, helping them narrow down the selection even further. “I am very appreciative of all of the members of our community who took the time to meet with the candidates and provide feedback for us to consider,” said Nagy. Nagy, who had the final say in appointing the University’s next Chief of Police, concluded that, “The candidate that best suited this campus for who we are, where we are, and where we want to go, was Chief Ortiz.”
Ortiz holds a Bachelor of Arts in Justice Studies from Montclair State University and is currently completing a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership at Montclair this spring. According to Nagy, Ortiz stood out from other candidates particularly because of his pursuit of his master’s degree. “He understood students and their behavior because he too is a student and is facing some of similar pressures,” said Nagy.
Ortiz concurred, “It is the understanding of how all of us as leaders and administrators impact our staff and how they in turn affect the success of our students that has helped me to address how we lead a police force on a university campus.”
“I think students are really going to enjoy working with him,” Nagy said, adding that it is for the new Chief of Police to have a positive and consistent presence on campus. “Chief Ortiz will be based at the MUPD’s office on the corner of Norwood and Cedar, but I have a sense that you are not going to see him there. My sense is that you will see him in the Student Center, at the Dining Hall, attending Student Government Meetings, and athletic events.”
“I am excited about homecoming, move-in day(s), cultural events and new student orientations,” said Ortiz. “These campus-based events enhance the opportunity for university police to continue connecting with students.” families.”
