Joseph LeMire has been appointed police chief of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, university officials announced on Wednesday.
LeMire, whose new leadership role is effective July 13, comes to UWM from UW-Oshkosh, where he has been police chief since 2010.
During his tenure at UW-Oshkosh, LeMire helped devise one of the largest student security programs in the University of Wisconsin System and collaborated with the district attorney’s office to form a UW-Oshkosh Safety Zone that protected students in areas surrounding the campus.
LeMire also teamed up with UW-Oshkosh’s Student Affairs department to create effective policing strategies to ensure the safety of students. He has earned recognition for his work with UW-Oshkosh’s Women’s Center, LGBTQ Resource Center and residence halls.
LeMire was identified as a top candidate by a university search committee chaired by Steven Brandl, a criminal justice professor at UWM.
“I am grateful that the search committee identified such strong candidates, and I am very happy Joe will be joining us at UWM,” Robin Van Harpen, UWM’s vice chancellor for finance and administrative affairs, said in a statement. “He is ready and excited to join a larger university police department and a campus in a very urban environment where the safety of our students and campus community is so vital to the wellbeing of the university. Also, he is eager to bring his close working relationships with student services functions to UWM.”
In his new position at UWM, LeMire will report to Van Harpen as he oversees University Police. He will also lead strategies that reinforce campus safety and security as well as strengthen relations with the university community, visitors, neighbors and other law enforcement departments.
LeMire will take over for Michael Marzion, who has served as interim police chief on campus this year.
