Kyle Bowman Named Chief of Police
FEBRUARY 25, 2022
To: Members of the University Community
From: Eric M. Heath, Associate Vice President for Safety and Security
Subject: Kyle Bowman Named Chief of Police
Date: February 25, 2022
I am pleased to announce that Lieutenant Colonel Kyle Bowman of the Michigan State Police has been selected as the next Chief of Police for the University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD), effective April 4. Reporting to me, incoming Chief Bowman will lead UCPD, a nationally accredited law enforcement agency that provides law enforcement services to the University, the Medical Center, and the neighboring communities within UCPD’s extended patrol area. Incoming Chief Bowman will work closely with campus and community partners, as well as University leaders, including President Alivisatos and Provost Lee, to develop and enhance UCPD’s ongoing crime prevention and community engagement strategies.
An accomplished law enforcement leader, incoming Chief Bowman has a proven history of success as a member of the Michigan State Police department. Serving the State of Michigan since 1995, he has displayed a strong commitment to community service and engagement, and an expertise in evaluating strategies to improve public safety. Most recently, he served as Deputy Director and Commander of the State Police Field Operations Bureau, where he established directives and priorities for the Bureau and led several task forces across multiple state jurisdictions. In considering him for the leadership of UCPD, we were impressed by his proven ability to build policing strategies around community needs, and his interest in engaging with diverse perspectives on issues of public safety.
Under his current command, incoming Chief Bowman oversees all field posts, providing direct police services to the people of Michigan as well as specialty teams, including commercial vehicle enforcement, executive protection, emergency support teams, canine units, and aviation and marine services. In this role, he has successfully partnered with community leaders to address violent crime trends. Working collaboratively with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, he has promoted officer training and resources that better enable troopers to resolve matters proactively rather than through responsive enforcement.
In addition to his formal law enforcement role, incoming Chief Bowman has served as an adjunct instructor at Siena Heights University, where he has taught courses on Homeland Security, and he is certified by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) as an instructor in police leadership. He has been a member of several local, state, and federal organizations, including the National Governors Security Association and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Government Coordinating Council. He holds both a Bachelor of Science in Law Enforcement and a Master of Arts in Homeland Security Leadership from Siena Heights University.
I want to thank Mike Kwiatkowski for his leadership, commitment and many contributions serving as UCPD’s Interim Chief of Police. Among other things, Mike has been instrumental in leading UCPD as we continue working to enhance safety on and near our campus. We are fortunate that Mike continues to be a member of the Department of Safety and Security leadership team in his current role as Executive Director for Campus Safety. I am deeply grateful to the staff and faculty members who took part in this search process.
Please join me in congratulating incoming Chief Kyle Bowman in his new role and welcoming him to the University.