Assistant Vice President for Public Safety Jeff Chapman, M.S., and his team are focused on providing the La Salle community with resources and support for a safe campus.

The Lasallian mission is what drew Jeff Chapman, M.S., to 20th and Olney.

After 36 years working in public safety and climbing through the ranks at Temple University, he retired after being named as the first officer in the University’s police inspector role with the Temple University Police Department. Chapman thought he’d closed the chapter on university public safety for partial retirement and teaching physical education in the Philadelphia School District.

It wasn’t long before he answered the call and was pulled back into the profession as assistant vice president of public safety at La Salle. Starting in an interim role in February 2023 gave Chapman the realization that sticking around was what he wanted to do.

“I like the Lasallian ways and expectations,” he said. “Everyone in our community understands the mission.”

In June 2023, he was named to the permanent position.

Chapman brings a myriad of experience to the role. He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and master’s degree in sport and event management. He served as Temple University’s Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) self-defense instructor for 26 years.  He is also a graduate of Northwestern Center for Public Safety School of Police Staff and Command.  

He continuously serves others as a civic leader and community servant, acting as an elected committee person in the 22nd Ward and vestry at the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas, as well as a little league baseball coach with Mt. Airy Baseball.

At La Salle, Chapman dove headfirst into leading the Public Safety Department. He replaced private security third-party contracts with full-time University positions to bring all the work in-house. Referred to as security desk receptionists (SDR’s), the team provides ample, friendly community coverage within residence halls and academic buildings. Additional Public Safety Officers (PSO’s) were also hired to patrol the campus grounds.

He also upgraded equipment for team members, including new radios for better communication and increased accessibility to campus spaces.

Listening to the University community has also been a large part of Chapman’s role. His team rerouted the shuttle service to offer more pick-up and drop-off locations, along with reducing wait time for students, faculty, and staff.

Communication between the Department and University has been improved through clear messaging about safety tips. The Department often meets with students during yearly orientations and encourages them to download the Rave Guardian Personal Safety App for up-to-date safety alerts. Tips on personal safety, vehicle safety (his team distributed free steering wheel locks to combat a nationwide increase in car thefts), and more are shared frequently. It’s important for Chapman to equip the La Salle community with skills to keep themselves safe while feeling supported by Public Safety.

He has also increased communication and strengthened the partnerships with the 35th and 14th Police Districts that monitor the campus and surrounding neighborhood. The University hires two Philadelphia Police Department officers that patrol the campus area overnight, seven days a week during the school year.

“It takes a team to be successful, and I work with and for a great team,” he said.

While Chapman and his team have done a lot to improve La Salle’s public safety, he said there’s still more he plans to accomplish. This includes providing team members improved technology resources and protocols to provide the best experience for the public safety staff as well as the campus community.

Chapman’s number one goal? To ensure that La Salle is known as one of the safest urban campuses in America.

“We’re moving in the right direction,” he said. 

-Meg Ryan, M.A. ʼ24