Flatley named interim director of public safety at UD

James J. Flatley

5:38 p.m., March 23, 2005--Lawrence O. Thornton Jr., director of public safety at UD since 1997, is joining the ranks of the retired, effective June 30, and he will be on vacation from April 4 until June 30. James J. Flatley has been named interim director, effective April 4. Maxine R. Colm, vice president for administration, made the announcements today.

“I have enjoyed the opportunity to work with Larry Thornton,” Colm said. “Under his leadership, we have made great strides in diversifying the Department of Public Safety, increasing both the number of women and officers of color.

“In addition, Larry spearheaded a community policing approach to campus safety that reaches out to students, faculty and staff, with particular involvement of officers with students in the residence halls,” Colm said.

“We appreciate all that Larry Thornton has done for the department and wish him well in retirement,” she said.

“Jim Flatley brings extensive knowledge and experience to his new position,” Colm said. “He has been part of our public safety department for more than 25 years and has served in administrative positions here for nearly 20 years. I am pleased he has accepted this interim position.”

“The past 18-plus years have been a rewarding experience,” Thornton said. “I have watched the department evolve as a professional organization, and that has been made possible by the hard work and professional dedication of our staff. I thank them all for that. I am confident that, under the leadership of Capt. Flatley, the Department of Public Safety will continue to meet its future challenges and goals.”

“My goal is to build upon the success we have achieved and to continue the progress we have made in the department,” Flatley said. “I am particularly interested in completing the accreditation process we recently started in the department. I also plan to work with my colleagues to make sure they have the training and resources they need to be efficient and successful.”

A graduate of Trenton State College, Flatley holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He was a police officer with the city of Baltimore for three years before joining UD’s Department of Public Safety in 1978 as an investigator in the patrol division. From 1979-81, he was assigned to the city of Newark Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division in a pilot program.

Lawrence O. Thornton Jr.

In 1981, Flatley joined the Crime Prevention, Investigations, Personnel and Training section of UD’s Department of Public Safety, and he was reclassified as a senior investigator.

Flatley, who is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, was promoted to assistant director in 1986, with responsibility for supervising the Uniformed Patrol Division and Criminal Investigations and Crime Prevention sections. He was reclassified to senior assistant director in 1998.

Thornton began his law enforcement career with the city of Newark Police Department in 1966. During his tenure there, he was involved in all facets of policing, including patrol, traffic, criminal investigation, police supervision, administration and management. He retired in 1987 at the rank of captain and joined the UD Department of Public Safety. As senior associate director of the department, he was responsible for the administration of all police functions and supervision of the staff of certified police officers on three campuses. He was appointed director in 1997.

During his UD service, Thornton enhanced Public Safety’s interaction with campus and community groups, including Newark Police. He also led the department in several technological innovations, including installing mobile data terminals in all campus police cars; upgrading the records management system to improve recordkeeping; using digital technology to expand the use of closed circuit television across the campus to enhance safety; acquiring portable radios that enable communication among all campus locations throughout the state; creating a web site that provides department information, statistics, safety suggestions and campus and community contacts; and introducing online parking registration for staff and students.

Thornton holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Wilmington College and a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies from UD.

A graduate of the FBI National Academy, Thornton is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Delaware Police Chiefs' Council and the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators.

Photos by Kevin Quinlan and Kathy F. Atkinson

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