SAN ANTONIO – The University of Texas-San Antonio announced Thursday that Chief Gerald Lewis will continue a 29-year career in law enforcement as the new chief of police for the UTSA Police Department.
Starting Aug. 1, Lewis will lead a force of 52 officers and 94 civilian employees that is responsible for the safety of more than 30,000 students and faculty at UTSA.
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In January 2014, Lewis became chief of police at East Carolina University where he oversaw a force of more than 100 people, including 58 full-time officers and 30 part-time student patrol officers.
The ECU police force was responsible for the safety of almost 40,000 students and faculty.
Before serving as ECU chief, Lewis worked in public relations for the New Jersey State Police and worked closely with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to recruit more minorities to the force there.
Lewis also had a leadership role in the New Jersey law enforcement's response to Hurricane Sandy. He retired from the New Jersey State Police in 2013 after 26 years.
“We are pleased to have a very seasoned police veteran joining UTSA to lead our Police, Emergency Management and Environmental Health and Safety division,” said Kathy Funk-Baxter, UTSA vice president for business affairs.
A graduate of the Southern Police Institute, Lewis is also a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) and the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE).
Lewis will replace former UTSA police Chief Steve Barrera, who retired earlier this year.
Assistant police Chief Daniel Pena has been serving as interim police chief for the last few months.