The Boston University Police Department has selected a new police chief. Kelly Nee will start the position in May, after serving in the Boston Police Department for 33 years. She will succeed Thomas Robins, who stepped down from the post in September, and will be the first woman to hold the title.
BU spokesperson Colin Riley said that although he doesn’t know Nee personally, he is impressed by her qualifications.
“Her resume and her experience speaks for itself,” Riley said. “She has a lengthy background and a varied background and has a lot of command experience.”
Riley said Nee will carry out BUPD’s tradition of high quality leadership.
“Of course we’ve been very fortunate in the leadership here at BU for many years,” Riley said. “She knows the city and the university’s interaction with the city very well. She is extremely well qualified.”
Peter Fiedler, the vice president of administrative services and the chair of the search committee, said the committee looked at 19 qualified candidates for the job.
“What made Kelly stand out from the rest was first of all her passion about the job, her professionalism and the fact that she has a really broad spectrum of [experience] from sexual assault to drugs to gangs to inner city crime and has a lot of experience that would be applicable here at Boston University in one capacity or another,” Fiedler said.
Fiedler said although Nee will be the first female chief of BUPD, gender played no role in the search committee’s decision.
“I didn’t really look at Kelly as a woman or a man … it was really how she responded to the questions that the search committee asked, the level of experience she had and just her demeanor and professionalism,” Fiedler said.
He said that how well he interacted with Nee was one of the deciding factors.
“Ultimately she reports to me, and I need to have a very good and solid working relationship with the executive director of public safety,” Fiedler said. “I think Kelly’s going to be a tremendous partner in that effort.”
