New chief of IUP police named

“Mr. Stringer has an excellent balance of police and university policing experience, and a willingness to listen and to engage with students, faculty, staff and our host community,” IUP Vice President for Administration and Finance Dr. Debra Fitzsimons said. “We are pleased to welcome him to the IUP community.”

During his tenure at Lock Haven, he refocused that university’s department toward a community policing philosophy.

“I am looking forward to the opportunity to becoming a member of the IUP campus community and finding ways to connect with the outstanding members of the Public Safety Department and with the other stakeholders of the IUP community,” Stringer said.

He was chosen after a national search, and brings 27 years of experience to Indiana.

Meanwhile, Fitzsimons expressed her gratitude to Campbell.

“Doug has done an exemplary job as interim director, and on behalf of the university, I want to offer him our sincere appreciation for his professional and steady leadership as the interim director,” the vice president for administration and finance said. “IUP is very lucky to have him in our Department of Public Safety, and I know he will continue to be an asset as Mr. Stringer begins his work at IUP.”

Stringer will be the first permanent holder of the IUP public safety job since February 2020, when Kevin Thelen was fired and replaced on an interim basis by former Indiana Borough police officer Anthony Clement, who in turn served 21 months before retiring and being replaced by Douglas Campbell.

Prior to his work at Lock Haven University, Stringer was a patrol officer, corporal and sergeant with the Ferguson Township Police Department in suburban State College from 1995 to 2017. As part of this work, he was a field training officer and team leader on the Centre County Tactical Team for more than 20 years. He also was a department, regional and commonwealth trainer and instructor, serving on state-wide curriculum committees and authoring county protocol and departmental policies.

Stringer has a tie with IUP as an adjunct instructor with the IUP Criminal Justice Training Center, and also has adjunct roles at Harrisburg Area Community College, and the Penn State Justice and Safety Institute. He is the coordinator of the Lethal Weapons Training Program at Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology.

Stringer received his bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership from the University of Charleston, W.Va. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police, the International Law.