By Evan Corley

Since he became Police Chief for the University in 2018, Police Chief Tim Alexander has always cared about creating a meaningful connection between students and campus law enforcement. 

Alexander, a Montevallo native, started his career in law enforcement while still in High School working as a radio dispatcher, later entering the police academy after his high school graduation. 

Despite now being a police officer, Alexander says that while growing up in housing projects that were located in Montevallo, he didn’t necessarily have a positive relationship with law enforcement. During this time Alexander says that his uncle, a police officer in Alabaster, was his moral compass and that he would talk to him about his various encounters with the police.

Alexander says, ” I made a comment one time, I said, I know your rights. He said, do you really know your rights? And honestly, I didn’t … and he encouraged me to really pursue law enforcement and understand what the opposite end of the spectrum had to deal with.”

Alexander credits his uncle Roy on many of his interests including Auburn football and firearms, and claims him as his idol.

Before working as Police Chief for the University of Montevallo, Alexander worked for the City of Montevallo, starting in 2006 as a drug enforcement agent until 2013, and then becoming Captain in 2015. 

“As a city police officer, you go from call to call to call and you establish a connection with the community, I did, and it was easy because I was from the city of Montevallo, So I knew everybody, everybody knew me.” Says Alexander.

In June 2018, Alexander started his position as the Police Chief for the campus of The University of Montevallo, and he says that it wasn’t difficult to transition, but he did have to re-establish himself and get to know the students. “People, in general, are not really trusting of police,” says Alexander, “ So I have to be outgoing, I have to be the one to speak and say how you doing and establish that, first that groundwork to build on that foundation.”

Alexander also claims that his position as university police chief allows him to get involved in campus life,  but when working for the city, it was often difficult to slow down and form relationships with members of the community.

Alexander also wants students to know that he is outgoing and willing to connect, ” I want them to know if they need anything from me or the police department please don’t hesitate to call.”

For more information about UMPD, you can visit: https://www.montevallo.edu/campus-life/campus-safety/public-safety/police-services/