New chief on campus: Audrey Alexander to take over at FAMU Police Department
Florida A&M University has a new police chief on campus: Audrey Alexander, a FAMU alumna who will begin the new role effective Sept. 13.
FAMU Chief Financial Officer and Vice President for Finance and Administration Rebecca Brown announced the appointment Thursday. Alexander is currently a lieutenant with the department.
She "has the necessary qualifications and has demonstrated her commitment to serve FAMU in this important role," Brown said in a prepared statement. "With her proven track record of leadership, we have complete confidence in her ability and her vision for ensuring the safety of our campus."
Alexander's appointment comes after Sgt. John Cotton has been serving as interim chief since July 2023. He took on the role following former FAMU Chief Terence Calloway 's leave of absence – a departure that was never made public by the university.
According to Calloway's LinkedIn page, he has been serving as chief of police at Tuskegee University in Alabama since May 2024.
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Alexander received her bachelor's degree in criminal justice and master's degrees in both public administration and adult education, all from the university.
She has over 29 years of law enforcement experience with FAMU in the Department of Campus Safety and Security , where she has been serving as assistant director and administrative lieutenant since June 2022.
Through the current role, Alexander has been responsible for overseeing 25 sworn and non-sworn officers, the development of the departmental budget and the implementation of community policing initiatives, according to the university.
"Having served the FAMU community over the last quarter of a century, I am deeply invested in the safety and well-being of our students, faculty and staff," Alexander said in a prepared statement. "I will work tirelessly to ensure that our campus remains a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment for everyone."
Alexander has also served as an administrative sergeant, investigator and patrol officer, and she is certified as a 911 telecommunicator or dispatcher.
In addition, Alexander is a veteran who spent 24 years in the military, where she served in the U.S. Army Reserve and Florida National Guard before retiring as a major. Her service included a year-long tour of duty in Iraq.
"I am both excited and humbled to take on this new role and continue serving our campus community with dedication and commitment," Alexander said in a prepared statement.
Contact Tarah Jean at tjean@tallahassee.com or follow her on X: @tarahjean_ .
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida A&M names Audrey Alexander as new campus police chief
