By Miharu Sugie, News Staff
After a nation wide search for the successor to Northeastern University’s current Director of Public Safety Joseph Griffin, Northeastern will welcome Michael Davis, the current chief of police in Brooklyn Park, Minn., to the position on Nov. 1.
“Mike Davis is recognized as one of the top public safety officers in the country and he has a very strong record of taking the time to understand what the key issues might be, related to public safety and some of their root causes might be and to tackle with his staff,” said Steven Kadish, Northeastern’s Senior Vice President and chief operating officer. “We’re really excited to have Mike join Northeastern and build upon the success that Joe Griffin has been able to do now nearly for 40 years.”
Davis, who has been in law enforcement for 21 years, will be responsible for the safety of all Northeastern students and faculty. Not only will he manage the security of students on campuses in Boston, Seattle, Wash. and Charlotte, NC, he will also be in charge of student safety off campus and abroad.
Students like Rachelle Pierre, a sophomore human services and business dual major, said that she hopes Davis will ensure student safety especially during the night. Although she lives on campus at 10 Coventry St., Pierre said that Tremont Street is especially dangerous for her.
Fourth year health science major Steve Weyel echoed Pierre. He spent his sophomore year living near Tremont Street, in Davenport B. There, Weyel heard that a non-Northeastern man was shot and another non-Northeastern man was beaten to death outside Coventry.
According to Davis, the two-time Concordia University alumnus, he has the gears to take him to the “next level of opportunities and experience and transfer it into success at Northeastern.”
“The focus for me is really preparedness and a sense of safety,” Davis said.
“It’s a tremendous opportunity to be part of an organization that is advancing itself so I hope I can take the challenge and grow myself.”
Davis added that it was also a “tremendous honor” to succeed Griffin, whom he learned from community members was well-respected by the community for building a “solid foundation.”
Since Davis does not have as much international experience as Griffin, the former president of the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators, Griffin will assist Davis at the beginning of his new position.
“What I intend to do [for students who are off campus or abroad] is connect with my network of a number of folks I know in the private and public sector that deal with the same challenges or the dynamics that Northeastern has concerning public safety,” Davis said. “My goal is to come up with a clear, coherent plan to ensure the safety of folks.”
Weyel suggested that Davis should prioritize communication with Northeastern students in foreign countries. However, as of now, Roxbury Crossing and Mission Hill are the main dangerous areas, according to Weyel.
“For those students living off campus, it’s really important that they understand the services that are available to them from public safety, including escort service, the ability to call not only 911 [but also] the Northeastern Public Safety Department,” Kadish said. “The responsiveness of the public safety team is really extraordinary.”
