Chief of Police

After a nationwide search, Joseph Silva has been selected to be UNM’s Chief of Police, effective November 1, 2021.

“At a time when the nature and face of law enforcement is under pressure to improve and progress, we are thrilled to welcome a new leader who is committed to strengthening the safety and security efforts both at UNM and within our ever-changing multicultural community,” said Teresa Costantinidis, Senior Vice President for Finance & Administration. “With his seven years at UNM, combined with decades of previous law enforcement experience, I am confident he will successfully lead campus security efforts while following our philosophy of community-oriented policing.

"I extend my deepest gratitude to the search committee for their exhaustive efforts. We were thrilled with the caliber of the candidate pool and are exceedingly pleased to have found the outstanding talent we sought in Joseph Silva.”

Silva has served in the role of UNM’s interim police chief since July 2020. He is a native New Mexican, has been with UNMPD since 2014 when he started as a commander. In that role, and his subsequent position as interim chief, he has worked to develop a culture of community policing and has focused his efforts on building trust in the department.

Read the full story at UNM News.