Salem State Alumna Becomes SSU's First Woman Police Chief

SALEM, MA — A Salem State University alumna who served on the campus public safety force from 2008 to 2013 was officially sworn in as the university's first woman police chief and director of public safety on Tuesday.

Trish Murphy earned a bachelor's degree in communications at Salem State in 2006 and worked in the Essex County District Attorney's Office before joining her alma mater's security force in 2008. She was also a patrol officer at Boston University from 2013 through 2018 and was promoted to sergeant in 2018 before most recently serving as a lieutenant at BU while she completed her master's degree.

"My time spent at BU provided me with growth opportunities both professionally and in the classroom," Murphy said, a fourth-generation SSU graduate in her family, said in a university statement. "By engaging in conversations and studying alongside the student population, I gained valuable insights into diverse experiences and perspectives.

"I look forward to bringing this understanding with me to Salem State.

SSU President John Keenan said Murphy's first-hand knowledge of the campus and public safety department will help her guide it as the university makes "the necessary investments and changes required to continuously support our ever-evolving campus and community."

"Chief Murphy demonstrated her commitment to improving our profession and our organization throughout her career," BU Police Chief Robert Lowe said. "As the commanding officer of the Training and Certification unit, Chief Murphy oversaw many initiatives to bring best police practices to our department. Most notably, Chief Murphy led the initiative for our department to receive and maintain accreditation by the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission.

"We are grateful for Chief Murphy's leadership and dedicated service to the Boston University community. Chief Murphy's leadership will be a valuable contribution to the Salem State Police Department and the Salem State community. We wish Chief Murphy all the best and continued success at the Salem State Police Department."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)