In a Thursday announcement, the University announced that Anthony Bellamy, the deputy chief of Cornell University’s Police Department, will be Cornell’s next chief of police, succeeding Dave Honan who will serve as associate vice president in the new Division of Public Safety.
Bellamy will be CUPD’s first Black chief and has been serving with CUPD since 2004. In an interview with the Cornell Chronicle, Bellamy said that he hopes CUPD will continue to work within the Division of Public Safety to support students and foster a sense of community.
Prior to joining CUPD, Bellamy was a deputy sheriff for seven years in Poughkeepsie, New York, in Dutchess County. He also served as a volunteer firefighter and worked in law enforcement and for the Poughkeepsie fire department.
Bellamy foresees the biggest challenge for CUPD is that parts of the community do not feel safe approaching the police and part of the solution is learning more about the roots of those feelings.
“The more we understand our community, the greater the chance we can create and grow trust in our community,” Bellamy said.
Another part of the solution is working with CUPD’s partners including the Community Response Team and other Cornell staff members, who may be better suited to respond to certain situations instead of CUPD officers.
Bellamy said he is also committed to recruiting and hiring a “diverse, talented, caring and experienced police department that reflects our community”.
Bellamy was also asked what he wants people who may be skeptical about policing to know about him. He emphasized that law enforcement officials are there to respond to situations and not just react, which is an expectation he has for CUPD.
“As chief, I will aim to be present and public, so students, faculty, staff, and our entire community know me and know I am available. We want everyone at Cornell to know that the police department is here to support them, be a resource for them, and to work with them” Bellamy said.