Cal U hires Downey as chief for its police department
CALIFORNIA – California University of Pennsylvania has hired a new director and chief for its 18-officer police department. Robert F. Downey begins his new duties on Monday, Aug. 16. He has 30 years of law enforcement experience, including serving as a lieutenant commander with the Allegheny County Police. He has been director and chief of the Slippery Rock University police since 2008.
“I got excited about the position when I saw that Cal U, under President (Angelo) Armenti’s leadership, was willing to make a commitment to make the police department the best it can possibly be,” Downey said in a prepared release.
“When I visited the campus, I was very impressed with all the growth that is going on. The campus has undergone such a transformation.
“It definitely is a centerpiece for the region.”
The university covers 294 acres, with the university police providing coverage 24 hours a day.
Downey has a master’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Cincinnati and a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from LaRoche College.
He is a 1980 graduate of the Allegheny County Police Training Academy, a graduate of the FBI’s National Academy and a founding member of the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Athletic Association, which is the governing body of the Pennsylvania Police Olympics.