The university has terminated the appointment of Rayford V. Stephens as chief of police and head of the Department of Public Safety. Stephens held the position for more than 10 years. Executive vice president and chief financial officer Dan Williams explained why Stephens was relieved of his post. He said,”Shortly after I got here, I was visited by a number of police officers who expressed some concern about the police chief’s management style that had continued over a long period of time. As a result of that we followed up with a peer review that was conducted by a group of three police chiefs from around the country, none of them from the state of Texas. They represented an organization called the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators.”
“Last May, we had an internal audit conducted by the Texas A&M System of internal auditors. The results came back with recommendations that we make some changes in the leadership of the police department, so that’s what we’ve done,” said Williams.
With Stephens’ departure, there is speculation on whether or not other officers of the department will be released. According to Williams, each officer will be put under review after a new police chief is brought in. “At this point, what we are going to do is wait until a new police chief is selected, then we’ll give the new police chief an opportunity to assess all employees in the police department. The decision of who to keep will depend on the new police chief,” said Williams.
The procedure for selecting a new chief will involve many members of the Prairie View staff. Williams said, “We will advertise and solicit applications, resumes and nominations from applicants who have read the advertisement and feel that they meet the requirements for the job. The files of those who appear to meet the requirements will be turned over to the Search and Screening Committee. The committee has been formed and is currently in that process. The final decision will most likely be made by the president,” said Williams.
When asked about the university’s handling of backlash or possible lawsuits, Williams replied, “We can’t predict things like that. It’s always possible. Anybody can get a lawyer and file a lawsuit for just about anything. The university stands firm in its decision that new leadership was needed in the police department.”
Williams also added that a decision on the hiring of a new police chief is expected toward the end of the semester.