Campus Security and Emergency Management Department appoints new Chief

New UHM Security Chief Charles Noffsinger

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa has named Charles Noffsinger as its new Chief of Campus Security and Emergency Management. Noffsinger brings with him 24 years of experience on the University of Michigan Police Department, where he played a substantive role in helping the department grow from a small security unit to a full-service police department, one of the largest and most respected in the region. He was one of Michigan’s five original police officers in 1990 and subsequently rose through the ranks to deputy chief.

States Noffsinger, “I’ve been privileged to have had many professional opportunities and feel I have much to offer in a chief’s role. After spending almost two and half decades with the University of Michigan, I was looking for the right opportunity to continue my career in campus law enforcement. I knew I wanted to remain in a vibrant, diverse, research university setting. I have also always dreamed of living on an island – preferably a warm one. This opening at UH Mānoa was ʻthe right place at the right time.'”

For ten years of his tenure with the University of Michigan Police Department, Noffsinger was the staff services bureau commander and was directly responsible for all personnel matters, budget and purchasing, the E-911 communications center, data services unit, strategic planning and policy development, and CALEA Accreditation. He planned and managed the Department’s presence at athletics and other special events activities and functions, and served as the incident commander for Michigan’s home football game operations, which have seen the largest crowds in a college stadium in the country. Noffsinger has also overseen dignitary protection details for VIPs including the Dalai Lama, governors, members of Congress and U.S. presidents.

For UH Mānoa, Noffsinger’s relates his goals for Campus Security and Emergency Management: “In the short term, I hope to establish a cohesive and supportive work environment, one that encourages innovation with an emphasis on customer service. Community-oriented policing will serve as the foundation of our operating philosophy and eventually be reflected in specific programming. Long term, we will continue to explore both the need and the process for becoming a full-service police department serving the Mānoa campus.”

Deborah Huebler, Director of Campus Services, said, “We were extremely impressed with Chief Charlie’s credentials and are excited that he will be bringing his knowledge of community policing and professionalized campus law enforcement to our University. Since joining the department a month ago, he has already won the confidence of our staff and is proving to be a good fit. Under his guidance, the UH Mānoa community can look forward to a Security department that is an integral part of campus life.”

Noffsinger assumed the role of chief on September 30, 2013, after a three-month national search conducted by Campus Services management and the Office of the Vice Chancellor of Administration, Finance and Operations. The position was formerly held by the late Wayne K. Ogino. Security Captain Alberta J.K. Pukahi served as acting chief in the recent interim.

Noffsinger has a BA from Michigan State University in Criminal Justice and a master of liberal studies from Eastern Michigan University. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy, Class #226, as well as the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command. Noffsinger is a member of the FBI National Academy Associates, International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police.

About Campus Security & Emergency Management

UH Mānoa’s Campus Security & Emergency Management Department is a unit of Campus Services, under the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Administration, Finance and Operations. The unit provides protection and security for the campus community and the physical plant at UH Mānoa 24 hours a day, throughout the year. Its duties include detecting fires, detaining trespassers, preventing theft and vandalism, and investigating reports of suspicious persons and incidents. Additional services provided include a campus security escort service, emergency call boxes, crime prevention presentations, emergency responders, and more listed at www.hawaii.edu/security.

For more information, visit: http://www.hawaii.edu/security