Dear AU Community,

We are pleased to announce the addition of Jay Gruber to American University as our new Assistant Vice President for University Police Services, Emergency Management, and Transportation Programs.  This important leadership role is a critical partner to me, the cabinet and the deans, and the president.  He will begin work in his new capacity on August 25.  

As the senior law enforcement officer for the university, Chief Gruber will lead all community policing and security efforts to foster a safe, positive working and learning environment on campus. He will oversee the university’s crime prevention programs; lead all criminal investigations; and build lasting relationships with community members, serving as a resource for students, faculty, and staff. In this role, he will also supervise our emergency management program, policy development, threat assessment, and physical security standards.   

Chief Gruber comes to AU with nearly 40 years of dedicated policing experience on college campuses. Most recently, he served as the Associate Vice President for Public Safety and Chief Public Safety Officer at Georgetown University where he led a university-wide project to enhance their safety and security infrastructure, as well as provided strategic guidance for the development, design, and building of their new Capitol Hill campus. Prior to that, he served as Assistant Chief of Police at University of Maryland, working for more than 26 years in a variety of critical police and safety roles supporting the UMD community.     

Chief Gruber received a Bachelor’s in Law Enforcement degree from the University of Maryland, College Park; a Master’s of General Administration from University of Maryland, University College; and a Graduate Certificate in Homeland Security Management from University of Maryland, University College.
Chief Gruber joins us at a critical moment in our broader Washington, DC community, when his deep public safety experience in our nation’s capital will help support our engagement with changing circumstances. Expanded federal law enforcement activity in the city is creating questions and uncertainty. While there are few clear details about this activity, we are supporting our community as the semester begins. Located in Ward 3, American University's campus and community are in the safest area in the District of Columbia. We have no information or indication that federal law enforcement activity will take place on or near AU’s campus. The AU Police Department (AUPD) has strong, longstanding relationships with the DC Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and federal law enforcement agencies. Since the federal activity began, we have continued discussions with our contacts at MPD. This engagement will continue as more information hopefully becomes available. We are committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment for all our students, families, faculty, and staff. It is helpful to be aware of potentially increased law enforcement presence in different areas of the city such as downtown and near the monuments, and plan accordingly for any business or personal activity in these areas.

As we welcome Chief Gruber to our university community, I would like to thank our search committee and chair, Matthew Verderosa, as well as the campus stakeholders who were involved in the search process. I would also like to offer a special thank you to Doug Pierce for his service as our Interim Chief of AUPD. 

Onward,  

Bronté Burleigh-Jones 
CFO, Vice President, and Treasurer