Upon officially assuming her new role as the University of Texas at Austin’s (UT) police chief on Wednesday, Eve Stephens said she’s “honored and privileged” to be tasked with protecting and serving the campus community, according to a press release issued by the institution.
UT not only sworn Stephens in as chief of police, the release said, but as its assistant vice president of campus security as well.
“I am honored and privileged to lead the great men and women of this police force and serve the University of Texas at Austin in the center of this dynamic city,” she said, per the university. “My vision for the University of Texas Police Department is that we serve with professionalism, compassion and integrity, do our part to keep our campuses safe and free from fear of crime through evidence-based strategies and community engagement and collaborate with the public, our partners and university employees and students to provide the safest university experience possible.”
The release said UT didn’t have to look far to find its successor to the late David Carter, who held the position from 2013 until his death from cancer last year. According to the release, Stephens comes to the university from the Austin Police Department (APD), where she ascended from patrolling the streets of the state capital’s east side to serving as a detective in the agency’s Child Abuse, Internal Affairs and Financial Crimes units. Stephens’ nearly 24-year career with APD culminated with her promotion to commander, the university said.
Citing UT’s student-run The Daily Texan, Austin ABC affiliate KVUE reported that Stephens, whom the school said is its police force’s sixth overall leader and the first female and Asian American to hold the office, was instrumental in the establishment of the APD's first Women's Mentorship Program for female cadets and a similar program for the Texas Police Chiefs Association (TPCA).
Per the university, Stephens graduated summa cum laude from Sam Houston State University (SHSU) in Huntsville with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a minor in Spanish, as well as earned a master’s degree from the University of Virginia (UVA). A graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy (FBINA), the release said, she’s a certified mental health officer with the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE).