Derrick Wood, the new chief of police for the University of Pennsylvania Police Department as of June 2025, shared his top priorities in an interview with The Daily Pennsylvanian.
Credit: Abhiram Juvvadi
The new chief of police for the University of Pennsylvania Police Department, Derrick Wood, described his goals for his tenure in an interview with The Daily Pennsylvanian.
Wood, who joined Penn’s Division of Public Safety in 2023 as deputy chief of police operations before serving as interim chief of police, was named chief of police in June 2025. Ahead of his first year in the role, Wood named safety, community partnerships, and officer morale as his priorities in an interview with the DP.
As chief of police, Wood oversees a team of 121 sworn officers. He said that safety remains his foremost priority, adding he hopes to “[make] sure that faculty, staff, [and] students feel safe when they’re going to class, to work, to eat, [or] to a movie theater.”
While overall crime rates within Penn’s patrol zone are down according to Wood, he said that DPS continues to focus on incidents such as scooter and property thefts. On July 8, DPS sent a campus-wide email informing the University community of its investigation into an “increase in electric scooter thefts” in Penn-patrolled areas.
“We use the best practices and evidence-based policing,” Wood said. “We use that to deploy our people in the right place, whether that’s technology, bike controls, [or] partnerships with other departments that we use to attack this problem.”
Wood explained that another one of his objectives is strengthening officer morale, emphasizing retention rates and a department culture rooted in respect and support.
“I want people working here to feel like they want to be here,” Wood said. “I want to make sure that people are treated with respect. I listen to them and give them voice.”
Wood took on the role of chief after former Chief of Police Gary Williams transitioned to a new position as DPS’s director of community outreach and engagement. When Williams was named chief of police in 2023, he told the DP that his goals — similar to Wood’s — were to prioritize “safety and security” and the connection between the University and West Philadelphia communities.
Before coming to Penn, Wood served as a police inspector with the Philadelphia Police Department for 24 years, later becoming the chief of the Norristown Police Department.
Wood said that his initial interest in becoming a police officer was sparked during his middle school years, when a Philadelphia police officer visited his classroom as part of the city’s Drug Abuse Resistance Education program.
“Drugs became a problem in the neighborhood I was growing up in,” Wood continued. “I felt like I wanted to become a part of the solution by becoming a police officer.”
Vice President for Public Safety Kathleen Shields Anderson told the DP that Wood’s connection with the West Philadelphia community — particularly through his role as police inspector of the Philadelphia Police’s Southwest Division — was central to his selection.
“His familiarity with Philadelphia but also specifically with West Philadelphia, was what the committee specifically noted,” Shields Anderson said. “He has a strong relationship that he has not only formed but is continuing to build with the Penn community, and he also has strong relationships with the West Philadelphia community.”
Anderson added that Wood has demonstrated an interest in cultivating leadership skills within the officers he oversees.
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“His commitment to the morale of the department has been apparent since the start of his tenure, making our officers feel that they are well prepared, well trained, well respected, and appreciated by our community,” Shields Anderson said. “We see that each and every day.”
Wood said that he has enjoyed familiarizing himself with the Penn community during his first few weeks as chief of police.
“What I love about Penn is that there is diversity from people all around the world,” he said. “I really enjoy working here, and it’s been a great experience so far. I look forward to being here for a really long time.”
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