by Adam Walker The New Haven independent
Anthony Campbell, who led New Haven’s police department for two years before helming Yale’s police department for three, will be leaving his top university law enforcement job to become the next chief of Harvard’s police department.
His last day as Yale police chief will be Jan. 2. His new role at Harvard is set to begin on Jan. 5.
Campbell’s appointment marks the latest chapter in a career that has spanned nearly three decades in New Haven. He first joined the Yale Police Department in 2019 as assistant chief for operations in the Division of Patrol, where he oversaw community engagement officers and coordinated public safety operations for major campus events. He was later promoted to Yale’s top policing role in 2022.
He also served as the chief of the New Haven Police Department from 2017 to 2019, before retiring and taking a job at the U.S. Attorney’s Office and then moving on to YPD.
Campbell first arrived in New Haven as an undergraduate in 1995 and remained an active member of the community ever since — a trajectory that included a near-fatal incident in which he was struck by a driver fleeing police. He later earned his master’s degree from Yale Divinity School, a background he said has shaped his philosophy as a leader.
In an interview with the Independent on Thursday, Campbell reflected on his tenure at Yale and the accomplishments he said defined his time as chief.
“I feel very honored to have had the privilege to serve at my alma mater, both undergraduate and graduate, in the capacity as the chief of police,” he said. “Everything is not always a police matter, and we’ve learned how to differentiate and make a decision as to whether security or law enforcement is the right response. It shows respect for the community.”
He highlighted the implementation of Yale’s “fit-for-purpose” or differential-response model, which directs the most appropriate resource — security or sworn police — to different types of calls. He also noted with pride his promotion of the first female assistant chief in the department’s 130-year history, describing staff diversification as a priority.
“Hiring and promoting more minorities and women, and having people in high-level positions who look like all the members of our community, is important,” he said.
Campbell said the move to Harvard was a difficult choice, given that New Haven has been his home for more than 30 years. The search began after Harvard’s previous police chief, Victor Clay, left in June. Campbell applied once the position opened in August. He emphasized that the decision ultimately centered on personal and professional growth.
“Yale is my home,” he said. “But after 27 years of policing in this city – 21 in New Haven and 6 at Yale – it’s comfortable, it’s second nature. I want to grow professionally and personally in my faith, and sometimes the way to do that is to step out of your comfort zone.”
Campbell said he hopes to carry his community-focused policing philosophy to Cambridge, adding that the skills he has developed over decades can serve the people of Harvard and the surrounding community.
Campbell also reflected on the Yale Police Department’s response to the 2024 Beinecke Plaza encampment, a confrontation that culminated in the arrests of 44 Yale students, where hundreds called for Yale to divest from weapons manufacturers amid the war in Gaza. He said he believes the department’s actions were appropriate, describing the episode as “one of the most challenging times” of his tenure and stressing that decisions were grounded in legal requirements and a commitment to treating everyone with dignity and respect.
AnneMarie Rivera-Barrios, chair of the New Haven Civilian Review Board, said she had not been aware of Campbell’s departure but hoped his successor would continue collaborating with the CRB on strengthening their memorandum of understanding with the Yale Police Department.
The CRB, which is charged with overseeing “civilian complaints of police misconduct by police officers empowered to act with municipal police powers in the City of New Haven,” has spent years seeking a consistent working relationship with YPD leadership and a formal MOU to guide that oversight.
In an announcement to the Yale community on Thursday, Duane Lovelo, Yale’s Head of Public Safety, said that once Campbell departs, oversight of the YPD will shift to him, who will manage the department and make any organizational adjustments needed to maintain patrol visibility, rapid response, and investigative and victim services until a successor for Cambell is selected.
Yale’s spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the search process for Campbell’s successor.
As he prepares to depart, Campbell said he hopes Yale will seek a successor who understands the differences between municipal and campus policing and who values the cultural dynamics of both Yale and New Haven.
“It has to be a person who genuinely cares about the women and men of the police department and genuinely cares about the Yale and New Haven communities,” he said.
Lovel’s email also states that, starting Feb. 1, YPD Capt. John Healy — a former New Haven police captain — will step into the role of YPD acting assistant police chief. Healy will supervise daily operations with support from YPD Assistant Chief of Administration Rose Dell, also a former New Haven police captain.