As the Providence Police Department continues its investigation of Saturday afternoon's Brown University mass shooting that left two dead and nine injured, the Ivy League school's head of campus safety has maintained a low profile.
Rodney Chatman serves as Brown's vice president for public safety and emergency management, a position that makes him the school's executive director of public safety and chief of university police.
His LinkedIn page says he began his career as a police officer in 2005 at the University of Cincinnati, and became a captain in that department in 2012.
As the Providence Police Department continues its investigation of Saturday afternoon's Brown University mass shooting that left two dead and nine injured, the Ivy League school's head of campus safety has maintained a low profile.
Rodney Chatman serves as Brown's vice president for public safety and emergency management, a position that makes him the school's executive director of public safety and chief of university police.
His LinkedIn page says he began his career as a police officer in 2005 at the University of Cincinnati, and became a captain in that department in 2012.
"As we continue to assess and strengthen campus safety practices amid the critical national debate around policing and justice, we are set to welcome a truly accomplished leader who is ideally positioned to guide this work at Brown," Brown University President Christina Paxson said in a message announcing Chatman's hiring. "Chief Chatman will bring not only an outstanding track record in law enforcement, but also the values, skills and experiences that will enable him to effectively engage our full community in advancing safety on campus in every aspect."
On International Women's Day in March, Chatman, along with the entire Brown Department of Public Safety (DPS), celebrated the department's female officers.
"Today, on International Women’s Day, we proudly celebrate the incredible women of Brown DPS who serve and protect our community with dedication and strength," DPS said in a LinkedIn post. "A few of our officers share what makes them most proud about working in law enforcement and their advice for young women considering this career. Thank you to all of the women on our team who make our department EPIC!"
A video was attached to the post with testimonials from female officers.
"Look at our amazing team!!!! Go BRUNO!" Chatman said while sharing the post.
In a prior post on LinkedIn, Chatman asked other campus police departments to refrain from posting pictures of themselves with weapons or performing tactical maneuvers, suggesting that it could make their communities anxious.
In 2017, DPS brought in a transgender academic, who goes only by Dr. Scout, to lead a three-day diversity workshop on "cultural competency and community engagement (LGBTQ, transgender, diverse populations), health disparities, data collection, language tips, stigma and how it affects lives, trends, and strategies to enhance service within these communities."
In fact, DPS has a diversity statement featured prominently on one of its Brown webpages.
"We make every effort to anticipate, plan for, and respond to the needs of our diverse and ever-changing community. We seek the input and talents of all members of the University and our efforts to safeguard the campus," it says.
"Public Safety works diligently to build and sustain trust and positive relationships with the diverse community we serve at Brown," says another DPS page. "As communities all across the country continue to deal with racial unrest and police reform, we support the University's urge to confront racial injustice. We also recognize that there is always room for improvement within our organization. We will continue to work towards our commitment in establishing and building positive and respectful community relations, especially with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)."
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