Lieutenant Shanon Anderson has been selected to serve as the associate vice president for public safety and the new chief of police for Oregon State University, OSU President F. King Alexander announced in an email on Dec. 14.  

“I know that Shanon will contribute positively to a university community where all members can live, learn, work, engage and thrive,” Alexander stated in the email. “Her significant professional experience and commitment to community engagement, education, equity and inclusion will foster public safety services that all community members will benefit from, while also supporting the university’s educational mission and values.”

Anderson began her responsibilities on Dec. 14 and will also lead a new Corvallis campus police department that will begin its service on Jan. 1 as contracts for law enforcement services with the Oregon State Police end on Dec. 31.

The new licensed police department will operate within Oregon State’s Department of Public Safety.

Anderson has worked for the Seattle Police Department since 1992, serving as a lieutenant since 2016. She has also helped guide Seattle police reform initiatives since 2016 and conducted implicit bias training on behalf of the Seattle Police Department, the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission and the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

“My motivations for choosing to join the OSU team and become the Chief of Police were both professional and personal,” Anderson said via email. “Being part of the team that is contributing to the university’s priority of safety and health of students, employees and visitors really speaks to me. I have been fortunate to receive and provide training that centers around the idea of understanding yourself, such as how implicit biases can affect our decisions, as well as training that embraces de-escalation concepts and skills.”