New chief of police named for the University

By Mark Rivera
Oct 23, 2008

Last updated on May 13, 2016 at 03:56 p.m.

A new chief of police was named for the University Police Department on Wednesday.

According to the police department, pending the University Board of Trustees’ approval, Barbara O’Connor,, will permanently fill the vacancy Oliver Clark left in 2005 when he retired.

O’Connor is chief of police and director of public safety at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst

Currently, Jeff Christensen is filling this void as interim chief of police.

Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!

  • Catch the latest on University of Illinois news, sports, and more. Delivered every weekday.
  • Stay up to date on all things Illini sports. Delivered every Monday.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Thank you for subscribing!

Christensen said he was confident with the University’s choice.

“I’m comfortable they selected a qualified individual,” he said. “I trust the search process and selection.”

According to the University of Massachusetts’ public safety Web site, as Chief of Police O’Connor manages the safety of more than 35,000 people including 11,000 resident students.

“We’re happy to have her and anxious for her to get here,” Christensen said.