Charles J. Leone, a Philadelphia native and two-time Temple alumnus who has served the university in public safety roles since 1985, has been appointed executive director of Campus Safety Services. He had been acting executive director since August 2013 until his permanent appointment June 1.

 

Leone, CLA’ 09, FOX ’11, oversees a public-safety team that includes 215 full-time employees, both sworn police officers and staff, as well as 250 full-time-equivalent security personnel through AlliedBarton Security Services. His responsibility for police, security and special services spans Main Campus, the Health Sciences Center, Temple Ambler, the School of Podiatric Medicine and Temple University Center City.

 

“I love the place,” said Leone, who climbed the ranks from officer to patrol operations supervisor to deputy director, a position in which he served nearly 18 years. “I get the best of a lot of worlds. I get the exposure of being in an urban setting and being at a university with great students, staff, professors and leaders. You can take away so much from that. We have a lot of folks here who are so loyal to the university and to our community, and it really makes you want to come to work.”

Leone said people, image and strategy define his approach to law enforcement. Policing is a people business, he said, and the department focuses on developing from within to elevate its standards. To that end, Leone is pursuing departmental accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), considered the gold standard in public safety. Obtaining accreditation, Leone said, would be a nationally recognized seal of approval that would further enhance the department’s image.

When it comes to strategy, Leone has bolstered community outreach, embraced technology such as digital fingerprinting and electronic report writing with tablet computers, and enhanced Temple’s communication center, which handles emergency dispatching.

Leone instituted a five-year strategic plan for the communication center and, in collaboration with the Philadelphia Police Department, a training program for dispatchers that can lead to certification by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO). The department also offers tiered incentives for certified dispatchers, master dispatchers and team leaders, who coach, mentor and train their colleagues.

“That really showed me that you can change a culture,” Leone said. “If you have a plan and the people to execute the plan, it can work.”

James P. Creedon, senior vice president for construction, facilities and operations, said Leone’s wealth of experience and passion for Temple help equip him to lead such a critical function.

“He’s in charge of security, but he’s also the ultimate beat cop,” Creedon said of Leone’s visibility on campus. “He’s at all of our major events. Whether it’s a basketball game, graduation or the Lewis Katz memorial service, Charlie’s always that first face I look for to know that the plan is going to be implemented properly and that everything is going to be safe and effective. He’s the right choice for this job.”