Bob Adams, vice chancellor for Finance and Administration, has named Edward L. Smith of Shawnee, Okla., as the new director of Public Safety and campus chief of police at UALR.

Smith, with more than 35 years of law enforcement experience, began his career at the Oklahoma City Police Department. He is currently director of the officer program and an instructor at East Central University in Ada, Okla. He has served as chief of police in numerous towns in Oklahoma, including Seminole, Clinton, Blackwell, Owasso, Bethany, and Chickasaw.

As division commander for the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville Police Department in 2000 to 2001, Smith was responsible for the implementation of the Incident Command System during major events and in the development of security and traffic control procedures for all special and athletic events held on campus. He worked with the Secret Service, the FBI, and international law enforcement officials when dignitaries were on campus. He also managed, organized, and directed all departmental training and development, recruitment and selection of agency personnel, and crime prevention.

Smith has participated in numerous specialized training programs such as advanced internet investigations and the senior management institute for police. He has provided the leadership to acquire national law enforcement accreditation for several police jurisdictions and is former president of the Oklahoma Association of Chiefs of Police. He remains current in the field of law enforcement by routinely serving as a university adjunct instructor of criminal justice.

Smith has a bachelor’s degree in law enforcement and a master’s degree in criminal justice administration from Oklahoma City University and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy.

He will assume his duties on March 18.