POTTS
By Errol Castens
Daily Journal
OXFORD – Tim Potts, a captain in Purdue University’s police force, has been named the new police chief at the University of Mississippi.
On Monday, the 24-year law enforcement veteran will take over the position left vacant after Calvin Sellers retired last month.
The 50-year-old marathon runner and Special Olympics volunteer has lived most of his life in Brookston, Indiana – a farming town of 1,546 some 15 miles from Purdue.
“I am humbled and honored by my selection to serve as the next director-chief of police for the University of Mississippi Police Department,” Potts said.
“I’m looking forward to meeting and working with not only the team at the police department, but with our partners around campus and the Oxford community, especially the students,” he added.
Among Potts’ credentials are a bachelor’s degree from St. Joseph’s College in Renssalaer, Indiana, and graduate status from the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy. He’s also a trained assessor for the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), which played a role in his being hired for Ole Miss’ top cop position.
“I had an opportunity a few years ago to travel to Mississippi State University and did an assessment of their police department for accreditation,” he said. “I just really enjoyed my time in Mississippi.”
Last spring, MSU announced Potts would be that institution’s new police chief, but he then informed university officials he could not fulfill the commitment because of personal reasons.
“I was actually contacted from an individual from Mississippi State earlier this year, who notified me there was potentially an opportunity at Ole Miss, and he spoke very highly of the institution, so then I just began doing a little bit of research on my own, and it seemed like it was a really good fit for me, for my ability,” Potts said. “Obviously, it’s a beautiful campus and city, and I’m really excited.”
While West Lafayette shares the college-town ambience with Oxford, he said, “Purdue has right at 40,000 enrollment, but we also have Lafayette, which is a much larger city.”
errol.castens@journalinc.com