Brent Tourangeau, who has served as a police officer for 37 years, has been named the new police chief for The University of Texas at Dallas.
Tourangeau — previously the assistant police chief in the UTD Police Department — was chosen after a nationwide search to succeed Larry Zacharias, who recently retired after more than 13 years as the campus chief of police.
Rafael Martín PhD’20, UT Dallas vice president and chief of staff, said it was important to hire a leader who will maintain the community policing strategies that have worked well on campus.
“Brent demonstrated his commitment to the culture that has been built over the past 13 years, which moved the police department in a positive direction,” Martín said. “He also has a great ability to develop his own strong relationships with key stakeholders in our community. That really came through in the feedback that I received from the university community.”
Tourangeau was hired as assistant chief at UT Dallas in 2014 after a 28-year career with the Richardson Police Department. He said he appreciated the city’s commitment to its citizens and saw a similar commitment from UT Dallas administrators.
“Brent demonstrated his commitment to the culture that has been built over the past 13 years, which moved the police department in a positive direction. He also has a great ability to develop his own strong relationships with key stakeholders in our community.”
Rafael Martín PhD’20, UT Dallas vice president and chief of staff
“I felt like the leadership of the University really cared about the students and the campus,” he said. “It makes it a great place to work.”
Tourangeau said it is very important that the UTD Police Department develop relationships with every segment of the campus community, which is why he — or another member of the department — always attends new student orientations.
“I believe in being part of the community,” he said. “We are trying to build a level of trust and respect for each other; we want the entire campus to feel comfortable enough to contact us about anything.”
The UTD Police Department employs 25 police officers, 27 public safety officers, nine telecommunications specialists and 11 administrative staff members. In addition to enforcing the law and managing safety risks, the department also supports the University Emergency Medical Response team, provides self-defense training and assists with building access.
Both Tourangeau and Martín said the biggest challenge for the department is recruiting officers and support personnel.
Martín said UT Dallas is an attractive place for officers to work, particularly for those who are seeking a second career after retiring from a municipal police department.
“Having a culture with a strong community policing tradition, where the community appreciates and supports the police, makes us an attractive place for officers to come,” he said. “I’m confident Brent will continue to strengthen campus relationships and build on the positive, collaborative reputation that the UTD Police Department already enjoys.”