ASU selects an interim chief of police
Kelvin Kendrick, interim Chief of Police
February 24, 2020
Two months ago, the University President named Kelvin Kendrick interim Deputy Director of Public Safety. Kendrick, who has been involved in police work for the past 15 years, previously worked in investigations and in dignitary protection. Working closely with the university president, Quinton Ross Jr., Ed.D, and chief of staff, Kevin Rolle, Kendrick was responsible for taking care of special university guests upon their arrival to campus.
“Dignitary protection is kind of specialized,” said Kendrick explaining how his current position differs from his work with the university president. “You deal with specific individuals and the deputy director of public safety as a whole I am not only dealing with students faculty staff I’m also dealing with all of the officers.”
The Wetumpka, Ala native formerly worked as a school resource officer for the Montgomery Police Department for more than eight years before his transition into law enforcement at the university.
“That was one of my favorite times as a police officer because I was actively involved with the youth kind of doing the same things I am doing here,” he said, commenting on his passion for working with the youth. “I’ve always wanted to make a positive impact on people who look like me.”
Noting it as “community policing”, Kendrick expressed his desire to connect with students by concentrating his efforts into involving the entire campus community with the Alabama State University Police Department (ASUPD). He plans to accomplish this goal by working closely with different organizations on campus, such as Violence Against Wo(men) Protection, to create programs to strengthen the relationship between ASUPD and the student body.
Commenting on some concerns of the students, such as the lack of police officers at the checkpoint at night, Kendrick responded that currently, as a result of daylight savings, he is sending officers to the checkpoint around 5:00 or 6:00 p.m. Furthermore, the department is looking into using scanners at the checkpoint, similar to those used at university sporting events.
“Our main job here is to maintain the integrity of this learning environment…24-hours a day people come here to learn,” he said, explaining the importance of having a more accurate measure of checking IDs to ensure that the students who are allowed on campus are currently enrolled in school and belong here.
Kathryn Nard • Oct 13, 2020 at 1:06 pm
Chief of police of ASU
Last night from 7-9 pm my home privacy was infringed on. I was in my house on highland avenue way far from asu and it sounded like a concert In my back yard. I could hear it in my house. I got in my vehicle and drove around my neighborhood and couldn’t find a house with
Loud music. Then I saw from a distance asu stadium lit up. I called the police and was informed that asu was having a rapper concert. She connected me to the asu police and yes I complained and heard in the background another officer saying there had been several complaints. I then called governor ivy and held my phone out for her to hear what I was hearing In my back yard and then inside my home. I emailed Mayor reed and Chief Fincley last night and called them this morning. I called the city police last night and when they came to my house they said there had been several complaints.
For 2 hours sir my privacy was invaded in on. Why is it that asu doesn’t have to abide by by the noise ordinance even set for events like this? That was disrespectful of asu to allow that. If I wanted to hear him I would of attended the concert but instead the concert was forced on us who did not want to go. Your school last night showed Montgomery what kind of school it is. Disrespectful.
I have lived In Montgomery all my life 62 years and for the last 20 years I have seem Montgomery go down because of such actions. I have lived in my neighborhood for 32 years and Havre seen such ways of life bring down my neighborhood that use to be a respectful neighborhood. Now we have a college that is teaching it’s students to be disrespectful.
Again let me ask you why does asu not have to comply with a noise ordinance that the test of Montgomery does?I am very familiar with this ordinance because I monitor my neighborhood against loud music and noise. When your band plays at the games they are loud but not to the point of where that concert was last night. Now I see why we have problems with people in our neighborhoods. they’re being taught art asu disrespectfulness. Your school is not a respectful our classy school. You proved it last night. A person of class is respectful of others.