O'Dell working to improve safety at EMU

In his almost 20-year career with the Ann Arbor Police Department, Greg O'Dell, time and again, pushed for new challenges. He climbed the chain of command from patrol officer to deputy chief, worked cooperatively with the labor union, learned to run the department's polygraph machine, and became involved in the professional standards unit - an unpopular position that involves policing the police.

TALKING SAFETY: Greg O'Dell, EMU's executive director of safety, has been discussing safety issues that EMU students have on campus. Students who talked with O'Dell at the Student Center are (above, from left) graduate student Ken Vaughn, of South Lyon; senior Angelo Fitzpatrick, of Ypsilanti; senior Doug Anarado, of Bedford; and sophomore Jenni Mickevicus, of Clinton. O'Dell took over Feb. 7 and is working to improve safety on campus.

"I've always liked having a challenge and doing something different," said O'Dell, the new executive director of Eastern Michigan's Department of Public Safety.

So when he found out EMU was looking for someone to lead its police department, the lure of challenge and change began to work on him.

"Six months ago, I'd never even thought about this job," said O'Dell, who officially started at EMU Feb. 7. "But, when I heard about this, I became a little intrigued. I've had a lot of variety throughout my career and this is a unique opportunity to make some changes in this organization."

Since O'Dell arrived in early February, he's pushed for a department that's both visible and transparent — encouraging officers to patrol on foot, chatting up students himself, clarifying important policies and adding a daily crime log to the DPS Web site.

"I'm a big believer in open and honest government, and sharing information with people," O'Dell said.

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