Frank Brinkley

Following a national search, Frank Brinkley has been named chief of police at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, according to a news release. His appointment is effective March 27.

As police chief, Brinkley will lead a staff of more than 40 UNCW Police Department professionals dedicated to campus safety and security. UPD serves and protects a community of more than 17,800 students and 2,500 faculty and staff, the release stated.

In November 2021, the department was awarded national accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. in the law enforcement program, according to the release. Brinkley will report to Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs Miles Lackey. The search committee was chaired by Dean of Students Mike Walker.

“Frank Brinkley is a respected law enforcement leader who will bring significant higher education experience and community policing expertise to UNCW,” Lackey said in the release. “I am confident he will strengthen UPD’s campus connections by expanding programs to build rapport among students, faculty, staff and the department. He will build on the department’s collaborative relationships with area law enforcement agencies, focus on national best practices in university policing, and support UPD employees through training, professional development and wellness opportunities.” 

Brinkley joins UNCW from the UNC School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, where he has served as police chief since 2017. His service at UNCSA followed a 15-year police department career at N.C. State University in Raleigh, where he held several leadership positions, including police major and acting chief.  

Brinkley’s accomplishments at UNCSA, the state’s professional school for the creative and performing arts, include developing the police department’s first strategic plan; completing a successful assessment from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies; implementing standardized promotional processes for supervisors and new hires; and more.

Brinkley said in the release, “Throughout my law enforcement career, I have focused on being a good steward of people, programs and resources. I look forward to working with Vice Chancellor Lackey and the UPD team to continue emphasizing the values of trust, transparency, respect and service that guide our commitment to the campus and community.”