New North Campus Public Safety Chief Brings Fresh Approach To Safety

John Rhames, the new public safety chief at North Campus loves working with youth. He mentored and trained young cops as a sergeant, detective and patrol officer at the Riviera Beach Police Department in Palm Beach County.

“When this came up, I was really happy because I love serving and communicating,” Rhames said. “Being in a place where I will be directly impacting the lives of scholars is an amazing opportunity.”

Rhames, 45,  brings 24 years of experience as a police officer, most recently as Assistant Chief of Police at the City of Lauderhill Police Department. He retired from that position in 2013. Since then, he’s been traveling the country.

Rhames started his new position on Nov.7, coming out of retirement to lead and supervise all safety affairs at North Campus.

Rhames, a native of Brooklyn, New York, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice from Union Institute and University, and has undergone advanced training with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Academy.

He came to Florida at the age of 20 to be a police officer.

Rhames has held numerous leadership positions with both the City of Lauderhill Police Department and the Riviera Beach Police Department including assistant chief of police and acting captain of operations.

Randel Carr, director of campus support services at North Campus, who hired Rhames, said his demeanor and answers to scenarios were what made him stand out from other candidates.

“His first assignment is to make sure we are maximizing coverage, leading the mission to watching every inch of the campus,” Carr said.

Rhames believed that maximizing coverage and increasing the number of officers on patrol was vital in order to keep the campus safe.

Upon arrival to North Campus, Rhames wanted to speak with his staff, students and other faculty to see what they think the issues are.

“I think it is important to get the perspective of the eyes and ears of this school,” Rhames said. “But it is more important to double-check that information to make sure it is accurate.”

Rhames said he wants to be visible to students and wants his entire staff to emphasize and treat public safety as a friendly customer service environment.

Andrew Smalling, chief of police at the City of Lauderhill Police Department said that Rhames has excellent leadership skills, works hard and loves protecting people.

“[Rhames] loves his job and was with us for a long time, that shows how dedicated he is to his work,” he said.

What especially stood out about Rhames was that he could be trusted and his administrative skills were outstanding, Smalling said.

“As the chief, I have many tasks and things I must tend to,” Smalling said. “Rhames was one of the people I could trust to give a task and know he would get it done without me supervising him.”