Wright State Police Chief Kurt Holden enhances campus safety through elite leadership program

Kurt Holden, director of public safety and chief of police at Wright State, is leveraging insights gained from an intensive law enforcement leadership program at Northwestern University to bolster campus safety initiatives.

Kurt Holden, Wright State University’s chief of police and director of public safety, is always looking for ways to make campus a safer place. After completing an intensive law enforcement leadership program at Northwestern University, he’s bringing fresh ideas to his team, helping to fine-tune operations and enhance campus security efforts.

“It was intense, but it pushed me to think differently about leadership,” Holden said. “I had the chance to collaborate with law enforcement officials from all over the country, exchanging ideas and learning from all different perspectives. It was a great experience, and I’ve already started applying what I learned to improve campus safety at Wright State.”

Holden completed a 22-week program offered by the School of Police Staff and Command at Northwestern’s Center for Public Safety last fall. The school provides upper-level college instruction in leadership, human resources, organizational behavior, planning and policy development. Founded in 1983, the program has graduated more than 21,000 students both nationally and internationally.

“Kurt was one of the most involved students in the class, engaging at a high level each week,” said Dale Call, course director. “Kurt showed himself to be an excellent team player, contributing to the success of each assigned group as well as leading them effectively when assigned that role.”

Holden was challenged through written exams, projects, presentations and a staff study paper. The primary lesson he learned from his experience is that leaders must be proactive in addition to reactive.

“One of my key takeaways was decision-making and continuously looking at trends and patterns to prevent problems instead of addressing them after the fact,” he said. “I found the program to be very beneficial and have already seen benefit from the program by networking and relationship building with other agencies and have already begun utilizing those relationships to better the department.”

A two-time Wright State graduate, Holden joined the university’s Police Department in 2009, initially serving on the Bike Patrol Unit, Crime Prevention Unit, K9 Unit and the Field Training Program.

He quickly rose through the ranks and was promoted to his present position as director of the Department of Public Safety in December 2021. He oversees the Police Department, Dispatch Center, Parking Services, Customer Care Center, Emergency Preparedness, Lock Shop and contract security for special events.

He has also served as a guest speaker and instructor in local criminal justice courses, academies and various police and community events.

“When I stepped into this role, I knew it would be demanding,” Holden said. “But what’s surprised me most is how much of the job is about mentorship and relationships. I tell my team all the time — a helping hand is more important than handcuffs. It’s a role that requires a little bit of everything, leadership, strategy, crisis management and sometimes just being a familiar face people can trust.”

Holden said the department is dedicated to enhancing campus safety upgrades and has secured grant funding to support those initiatives. The Police Department has also expanded officer training to emphasize that public safety involves not only enforcement, but also community engagement and effective problem-solving.

Although Wright State’s campuses are considered safe, Holden emphasized that public safety involves both statistics and community perception.

“It’s about how people feel,” he said. “If a student doesn’t feel safe walking across campus at night, then we have more work to do.”

Holden is committed to improving Wright State because it’s been “a huge part of my life,” he said. It’s where he received his education, built his career and grew as a leader.

“The best part of being here is the people,” Holden said. “Wright State isn’t just a campus — it’s a community. I see that every day in the way students support each other and how faculty and staff are committed to their success. It makes my job all the more meaningful.”