Florida State University Police Chief David Perry takes job to lead UNC police force

Florida State University’s Police Chief David Perry has accepted a position leading the force at the University of North Carolina and will resign at the end of the month.

Perry, who has donned a uniform at FSU since 2006, announced his departure Monday after a public interview process in Chapel Hill last month alluded to a possible move.

Perry’s final day will be Aug. 30, when Terri Brown will be appointed chief of police, the first woman to hold the post.

“I want to thank Chief Perry for his outstanding service to Florida State University,” said FSU President John Thrasher in a statement. “We’ve been fortunate to have his valuable leadership over the past 13 years. He has given much to this institution.”

In his time at FSU, Perry worked to implement campus-wide safety protocols, creating a welcoming environment. He's been through three hurricanes and launched an interactive safety app.

He has worked with the university’s administration to crack down on Greek life drinking in the wake of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity pledge Andrew Coffey’s death in 2017. He heralded his officers’ quick actions as they descended on Strozier Library on Nov. 20, 2014, when a gunman opened fire outside the packed study hall.

Along with administrators, Perry also worked to change campus policies after he and FSU were criticized for the handling of rape allegations against then-quarterback Jameis Winston in 2013.

The Tallahassee Police Department took the lead on the investigation, but Perry amended campus police policies to mandate that two investigators be assigned to every sexual assault case.

The UNC department has come under fire in the past year for its handling of protests surrounding a Confederate monument that stood on campus but was taken down in August. The university's former police chief, Jeff McCracken, retired Monday after 12 years at the post.

At FSU, Brown said she is looking forward to "seamless transition." She has twice been named FSUPD officer of the year and was honored with the Florida Police Chief’s Association’s President’s Award this year.

“As chief of police, I will make sure we have a seamless transition as FSUPD continues to support the mission of the Florida State University by promoting a safe and secure higher education environment while providing proactive police and customer-related services aimed at reducing crime,” Brown said in a statement. “I’m very proud to be a part of this incredible institution.”

Contact Karl Etters at ketters@tallahassee.com or @KarlEtters on Twitter.