Melvin Singleton Jr. to Join Drexel as Vice President of Public Safety and Chief of Police

The following message was sent to members of the Drexel community:

Dear Students and Colleagues,

Following a nationwide search, we are pleased to announce that Melvin Singleton Jr., a 28-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) who most recently served as second in command to the commissioner, will join Drexel as vice president of Public Safety and chief of police, effective Monday, November 14.

Melvin “Mel” Singleton Jr. was born and raised in southwest Philadelphia and has dedicated his entire career in law enforcement to improving public safety and the quality of life for Philadelphia residents. As the former first deputy commissioner, Mel oversaw management of the PPD’s patrol, detective, narcotics, homeland security, forensic science, and intelligence bureaus.

Mel started his career as a police officer in West Philadelphia’s 19th district in 1993 and worked his way through the ranks of the PPD, serving in various leadership roles including captain of the 19th district, captain of the highway patrol, inspector for the narcotics bureau, chief inspector for homeland security, and deputy commissioner. He brings to Drexel years of experience in collaborating with federal, state and local law enforcement partners, elected officials, and community leaders in order to fight crime, enhance public safety, and prepare for large-scale events.

While the role of leading Drexel’s Department of Public Safety has always been critical, Mel assumes command amid an increase in violent crime throughout the city of Philadelphia, and as the University is working to enhance the operational transparency and community engagement of our police department.

We are confident that Mel is the ideal public safety leader for Drexel. Through his decades of dedicated service and transformational leadership, Mel has a proven track record of leveraging intelligence and data to develop effective public safety strategies; engaging community members with respect, inclusion and partnership; adhering to the highest professional standards; and demanding peak performance from his units. He is well-positioned to lead DPS with strength and vision as we work to hire more personnel, implement new technologies, enhance training and public outreach, and continue to provide a safe and welcoming environment for our students, faculty, professional staff and neighboring communities.

We want to thank Senior Vice President for Student Success Subir Sahu for chairing the search committee, as well as the other search committee members for their time and thoughtful consideration of the candidates for this role. We would also like to thank Bob Lis for his dedication and leadership as interim vice president of Public Safety and chief of police.

Please join us in welcoming Mel to Drexel.

Sincerely,

John Fry

President

Helen Y. Bowman

Executive Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Operating Officer