Message from University leaders about interim police chief
Thomas C. Younce will join Carolina as interim chief of UNC Police on July 1.
Dear Carolina Community:
We are pleased to announce that Thomas C. Younce will join Carolina as interim chief of UNC Police, effective July 1, 2019. Interim Chief Younce comes to us with nearly 44 years of law enforcement experience, including over 15 years of police service on UNC System and private university campuses across North Carolina.
Throughout his career, Chief Younce has worked tirelessly to protect the safety and security of students, faculty, staff and visitors at East Carolina University, NC State University and Queens University in Charlotte and as interim chief of police at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem. During each of his assignments, Chief Younce has developed a reputation for fostering strong relationships between the police force and their communities.
Chief Younce brings outstanding experience to the role. He has served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force, an agent for the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and chief of police for the city of Wilson, North Carolina. From responding to emergency calls to providing security details to a U.S. president and various heads of state, he brings well-rounded experience to his new role on our force. In addition, he holds adjunct faculty positions at three colleges and universities across the state.
Chief Younce earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Auburn University and a master’s in special studies criminal justice from George Washington University. He has also completed additional training at UNC-Chapel Hill, NC State University, Harvard University and the FBI Academy.
We are pleased to welcome Chief Younce to the Carolina family. His decades of experience and skilled leadership will allow him to carry UNC Police forward in the coming weeks as our officers and staff continue to support and protect our students, faculty and staff.
We want to thank Chief Jeff McCracken for his 30 years of service and wish him the best in his retirement. The national search for a permanent police chief is ongoing, and we will keep you informed about the progress of those efforts. With the safety of our campus community at the forefront of our minds, the search has yielded several strong candidates, and we anticipate making a hire prior to the start of the academic year.
Sincerely,
Kevin Guskiewicz
Interim Chancellor
Robert A. Blouin
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost
Jonathan Pruitt
Vice Chancellor for Finance and Operations
