Dayton native named Wright State’s director of public safety

“I am looking forward to continuing being in the service of the community,” Holden said. “As we restructure, I want to remain community-centered, so that we can continue building upon the great relationships we have at the university and provide a safe and secure campus.”

Wright State had a Department of Public Safety until 2003 that included the police force. The university announced it would return to that approach in January, said Greg Sample, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Wright State.

Other departments in the Department of Public Safety include parking services and the communications center. The university said in a press release that integrating these departments together would save money and make the departments more efficient and collaborative.

“When you have all of those entities working together it results in a safer and more secure campus,” Holden said.

Several other universities in the region operate under the Department of Public Safety model, including University of Dayton, University of Cincinnati and Bowling Green State University.

The police department employs 12 police officers, several part-time detectives, six dispatchers and a team of officer for community policing and special events. A lieutenant, records technician, customer care center supervisor and two parking attendants are also employed.

Holden is a two-time Wright State graduate and a 13-year veteran of the university’s police force, starting the department’s first K-9 program and climbing the ladder through the department.

Holden grew up in Dayton, Wright State said. Holden would often talk to police officers working in the streets, which led him to see police work as problem solving.

Holden lived in foster homes between the ages of 2 until he was emancipated at 18 and said a childhood spent in foster homes gave him a different perspective to bring in as the director of public safety.

He struggled in college, flunking out of Wright State after a year and a half of classes. But he later enrolled at Sinclair Community College, went through the police academy and graduated from Wright State University for the first time in 2013.

“I think it’s taught me empathy,” Holden said. “I’ve honestly learned you can do more in the community with a helping hand than you can with handcuffs.”