Dewayne McCarver has served as the Chief of Police for UCCS since October of 2022. During his time at the university, he has made an incredibly positive impact on campus. Chief McCarver has spent the last few years building strong connections between students, faculty and staff and the Police Department. He has helped develop countless efficiencies within the department, and has worked hard to create a safer campus for the entire community.
Initiatives that the department developed under his leadership include implementing a new active threat response protocol and training video, launching the UCCS Safe App, creating the Community Advisory Council, and establishing the Inclusive Services Intern Program.
Chief McCarver also took charge of many internal changes, including updated vision and mission statements and new core values for the department, new workflow processes, new organizational structure and shifts, the addition of an investigator position and two additional corporals, and even new uniform patches.
While he loves UCCS, Chief McCarver has made the difficult decision to return to Alabama to be with his family, who were unable to join him in his move to Colorado. As you’ll see below, Chief McCarver is a family man through and through. The university will miss him, but we wish him the best.
1. Tell us about your background, and what brought you to UCCS.
I retired from the Huntsville Police Department to become the Chief of Police here at UCCS in October of 2022.
2. What do you do at UCCS?
I am the Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety.
3. What do you love about UCCS?
I love the entire community and culture here at UCCS. It’s amazing to be a police chief in a community where everyone is there to be better or help others be better.
4. What are you working on right now?
I am concluding my time here at UCCS by transitioning the department to a new leadership team.
5. What energizes you at your job?
Working with this incredible campus community to help create a nurturing environment for students to learn and share ideas. It’s fun to have deep conversations with students about tough situations facing our nation regarding community/police relationships – and how we can all do better.
6. What’s an accomplishment you’re proud of?
My children – there is nothing that I’m prouder of than them.
7. What’s a goal you have for the future?
To enter the private sector to hopefully continue to impact policing in America in a positive way. I want to continue to see policing become more positive, effective, and efficient.
8. What do you do with your free time?
Spend most of it with family and friends. I love to workout, run, snowboard, and read.
9. What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received?
When my kids tell me I’m the best dad in the world.
Do you know a Mountain Lion that UCCS should meet? We want to hear all about them! Invite them to share their story, and we’ll tell it to the UCCS community.