by Guy Page

The Vermont Legislature’s Joint Legislative Management Committee met Kevin Williams, the interim Capitol Police Chief, Tuesday, Oct. 2.

Williams has managed a $20 million budget as a lieutenant in the L.A. Police Department, and has led five police departments, including the Keene (NH) State College and other college campuses. He got into law enforcement when, growing up in Detroit, he told his mother that the police weren’t doing a good job. In response, she suggested he become a cop and make the changes necessary.

He described his immediate three-point to-do list:

1. Listen to his boss, Sgt. of Arms Janet Miller
2. Assist with finding a permanent police chief
3. “Get to know Sen. [ Appropriations Chair Jane] Kitchell very well, since she manages the money.” 

Former Police Chief Matt Romei resigned this spring to become police chief in the town of Norwich. 

The following is an extended bio of Williams, republished from the Campus Procedural Justice page:

Chief Williams is a graduate of Cass Technical High School in Detroit, Michigan.  He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Mercy College of Detroit (now the University of Detroit/Mercy) and a Master of Arts Degree in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix.  His education continued with attendance and graduation from the Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD) Command Development Program and the Oregon State Sheriffs’ Association (OSSA) – Command College, Class #5.  He is currently a graduate student at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, pursuing a Master of Science Degree.

Chief Williams joined the D Stafford & Associates in January 2019 as a consultant. He served as Chief/Interim Director of Campus Safety for the Keene State College (KSC) Department of Campus Safety for 16 weeks, starting in January 2019.  His service concluded 18 months later, in July 2020.   During that time, he was responsible for directing all campus security operations and was entrusted with the safety of approximately 5,000 students, faculty, and staff, at that campus. 

Prior to his work with D Stafford & Associates, he served as the Police Chief/Director of Public Safety at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, Police Commander at Arizona State University – Tempe Campus, Corrections Division Commander at the Lane County (Oregon) Sheriff’s Office, Chief/Director of Public Safety at the University of Oregon and 20 years with the LAPD where he retired at the rank of Police Lieutenant.

During his LAPD career he mentored hundreds of employees, significantly reduced grievances, taught watch commander’s school for 10 years, initiated several audits that uncovered inappropriate behavior and he wrote the LAPD’s Pursuit Policy.  Chief Williams was an active member and promotional instructor for the Latin American Law Enforcement Association (La Ley), the Oscar Joel Bryant Foundation, the Los Angeles Women’s Police Officers’ Association, and the Law Enforcement Association of Asian Pacific’s.

Chief Williams has been a guest lecturer and speaker at Cypress College (California), the University of Irvine (California), California State University at Northridge (CSUN), the University of Oregon, the Los Angeles Police Academy, the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) Academy and at Command College.

Chief Williams is a Past President of the Southern California Chapter of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE).  He is a member of the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA), the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and a life member of NOBLE, NAACP, Blacks in Government (BIG) and the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Chief Williams has been married to his wife (Laura) for 37 years and they have four children.  Between them, there are 14 degrees in the Williams household.