The current director of Public Safety and Police at the University of Central Florida, Richard Turkiewicz will start his new job as interim director of the Department of Public Safety at the University on March 1, University officials announced Thursday.
Vice President for Finance and Administration Frances Dyke selected Turkiewicz after University officials interviewed four candidates from a nationwide search, Dyke said.
Turkiewicz’s 33 years of experience in campus law enforcement, parking and safety positions made him a top candidate, Dyke said in a press release.
“He just rose to the top of the group,” she said.
Dyke said officials in various University departments interviewed Turkiewicz, including University Housing and the ASUO.
Associate Vice President of Campus Operations George Hecht, acting director of DPS, called the selection process rigorous.
“I think the department is running quite well, and we’re excited to have an interim director take over,” Hecht said.
Dyke said the University hopes to hire a permanent director within six months with the help of the national recruiting firm Bob Murray & Associates and that Turkiewicz is a possible candidate.
“There’s nothing that precludes him from that position, but he will have to go through the same rigorous search process everyone else will,” Dyke said.
Hecht said DPS also is looking to fill five other positions.
Turkiewicz, who has been the director of safety and police at the University of Florida since 1988, will run a department of about 70 people. He also served as Chief of University Police at Youngstown State University from 1980 to 1988 and as vice chairman of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Campus and University Section.
Turkiewicz holds a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Fredonia and a master’s degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo.