Penn State has named Joseph Milek as the new chief of police operations to oversee University Police and Public Safety operations at 22 campuses.
Milek, whose appointment is effective Aug. 26, comes to Penn State from Oklahoma State University, where he is assistant chief of police. He replaces former Penn State Chief Keith Morris, who resigned in February after two years in the position to pursue other professional opportunities and spend more time with his family.
“Chief Milek has extensive experience in law enforcement and higher education, which will be a major asset to the department as we continue to grow and develop as one department at 22 campuses across Pennsylvania,” Charlie Noffsinger, assistant vice president for University Police and Public Safety, said in a news release.
Milek will work out of the University Park campus headquarters and will serve alongside serve alongside chief of police administration John Petrick under Noffsinger. Deputy Chief Tom Sowerby is commanding officer at University Park and will remain in that role.
The university conducted a nationwide search before selecting Milek, who has 26 years of law enforcement experience. Prior to his time at Oklahoma State, Milek was director of public safety at Xavier University and spent more than 20 years with the Cincinnati Police Department. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in criminal justice from the University of Cincinnati and Xavier, respectively.
“I am honored to join Penn State University Police and Public Safety because the department is dedicated to serving and protecting the Penn State community with respect, professionalism and accountability,” Milek said. “I am excited to guide a department that subscribes to Penn State’s Values and strives to be a leader in innovative campus policing and public safety practices.”
The Penn State University Police Officers’ Association recently ratified its first collective bargaining agreement with the university after somewhat contentious negotiations, during which the union expressed a “vote of no confidence” in Noffsinger.
Penn State police is divided into six districts in Pennsylvania: northwest, southwest, central, southeast, northeast and University Park, each led by a district commander.
Penn State University Police is an accredited full-service police department with sworn officers who have full law enforcement authority.
