Records of the Colorado State University Police Department

The Colorado State University (CSU) Police Department was established in 1955 with the appointment of Wayne Teegarden to implement parking policies at the university. The department grew steadily under the supervision of Chief of Police Teegarden and witnessed the establishment of vehicle and bike laws, the arson attack on Old Main, the employment of one of the first policewomen in Northern Colorado, the Rolling Stones concert at Hughes Stadium in 1975, and the subsequent ban on concerts at Hughes in 1977.

Following Teegarden's retirement in 1984, Donn Hopkins was appointed Chief of Police. During Chief Hopkins' tenure, he worked to establish a better rapport between the department and the CSU community, developed a mission and goals statement, and attained accreditation for the department through the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police. The end of the tradition of College Days also occurred in 1987 following years of increasing disruptive behavior. Hopkins also managed the disaster response and relocation to Green Hall that followed the 1997 flood that destroyed the basement of the Hartshorn Health Center, the CSU police department's previous location. Hopkins resigned in 2003 to accept a position as security chief for Agilent Technologies.

Chief Dexter Yarbrough assumed command in September 2003. During his tenure, Chief Yarbrough worked to increase staffing levels of the department which, because of budget issues, had remained stagnant for 25 years. Yarbrough also brought the Police Department, Parking Services, and Environmental Health together to form the Department of Public Safety. The university eventually appointed Yarbrough as the Associate Vice President for Public Safety. He also retained his status as CSU's Chief of Police. Under Yarbrough's leadership, the department grew from 21 full-time officers to nearly 40. Yarbrough resigned in 2009, and Assistant Chief Frank Johnson became interim chief while the university conducted a nationwide search.

In July 2009, the university named Wendy Rich-Goldschmidt to the position. Upon her resignation in 2013, CSU hired Lieutenant Scott Harris as the Chief of Police. At this printing, he continues to serve the CSU Police Department.