News & Events

Brinkley Selected After National Search

Following a national search, Frank V. Brinkley was named chief of police at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. His appointment is effective March 27, 2023. 

As police chief, Brinkley is charged with oversight of the UNCW Police Department, including a staff of more than 40 professionals dedicated to campus safety and security. UPD serves and protects a community of more than 17,800 students and 2,500 faculty and staff. In November 2021, the department was awarded national accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. in the Law Enforcement program. Brinkley will report to Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs Miles Lackey, who thanked the search committee, chaired by Dean of Students Mike Walker, for their assistance throughout the process. 

“Frank Brinkley is a respected law enforcement leader who will bring significant higher education experience and community policing expertise to UNCW,” Lackey said. “I am confident he will strengthen UPD’s campus connections by expanding programs to build rapport among students, faculty, staff and the department. He will build on the department’s collaborative relationships with area law enforcement agencies, focus on national best practices in university policing, and support UPD employees through training, professional development and wellness opportunities.” 

Brinkley joins UNCW from the UNC School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, NC, where he has served as police chief since 2017. His service at UNCSA followed a 15-year police department career at N.C. State University in Raleigh, where he held several leadership positions, including police major and acting chief.  

Brinkley’s accomplishments at UNCSA, the state’s unique professional school for the creative and performing arts, include:  

• Developed the police department’s first strategic plan 
• Completed a successful assessment from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies 
• Implemented standardized promotional processes for supervisors and new hires, including diverse applicant review panels and significant increases in diverse applicants 
• Oversaw development of career progression and training models for officers and fostered an environment of employee wellness, professional development and community engagement 
• Updated expiring equipment, obtained new vehicles, uniforms and technology over a five-year period 
• Initiated ALICE Active Shooter Response Trainings for the UNCSA campus and collaborated with the institution’s high school academics team to develop annual training, assessment and exercise program for emergency response 

“I am honored to become the next police chief at UNCW, a university built on 75 years of teaching, mentoring, research and community engagement,” Brinkley said.

“Throughout my law enforcement career, I have focused on being a good steward of people, programs and resources. I look forward to working with Vice Chancellor Lackey and the UPD team to continue emphasizing the values of trust, transparency, respect and service that guide our commitment to the campus and community.”