UNC-Chapel Hill police chief resigns without explanation. What’s next?

UNC-Chapel Hill Police Chief David Perry is resigning after less than two years on the job.

The university announced the news Tuesday afternoon but gave no details about why Perry submitted his resignation, effective June 30.

“We thank him for his service to the University,” Vice Chancellor for Institutional Integrity and Risk Management George Battle said of Perry in a statement. “We will conduct a national search for the next UNC police chief, the details of which will be announced at a later date.”

UNC Police Department Assistant Chief and Captain Rahsheem Holland has served as acting police chief since mid-May and will continue to do so, according to Battle.

Perry joined UNC-CH as assistant vice chancellor in September 2019. He replaced Jeff McCracken, who retired after 30 years.

Perry came into the role as UNC police faced scrutiny over how they handled protests surrounding the Silent Sam Confederate monument on campus before protesters tore it down. Perry came ready to focus on improving community policing and rebuild trust, UNC officials said at that time.

During the past two years, Perry oversaw how UNC police enforced COVID-19 protocols, handled Black Lives Matter and other campus protests, dealt with campus vandalism and changed campus crime policies and practices after years of federal CLERY Act violations. He’s also made an effort to make UNC Police more visible on campus beyond conflict.

Perry rides his Segway or golf cart around campus and had officers welcome students into residence halls on move-in day, though students haven’t always supported that increased presence.

As police chief, Perry has worked closely with the campus safety commission, which is made up of 20 members of the UNC faculty, staff, student body and local community. That group was created in part to review concerns about the police department and make recommendations to improve the campus climate, particularly for students of color.

Before joining UNC-CH, Perry served as police chief at Florida State University for 14 years. At FSU, Perry handled a number of campus crises, including three hurricanes, an active shooter situation, the death of a student at a fraternity party and rape allegations against then-quarterback Jameis Winston.

The New York Times reported that “there was virtually no investigation at all, either by the police or the university” in the Winston case.