After serving as the assistant vice president for public safety and chief of Saint Louis University’s Department of Public Safety for nearly four years, Melinda “Mel” Heikkinen stepped down from her position on Jan. 30, 2026.
Heikkinen has taken a new position at the Claremont College system. Vice president of student development and acting hiring manager Matt Goodwin aims to have a new chief installed by July 1.
A search committee has been established to find a new chief, including two student representatives from the Student Government Association and the Residence Hall Association. Goodwin said these individuals were included in the committee because of their department’s frequent interaction with DPS.
“I envision when the finalists get to campus, I want to have some targeted engagement with students who engage with DPS staff,” Goodwin said. “I also think there’s opportunities for the average student to engage in a public way with these candidates.”
In the meantime, Majors DeShiela Hatcher and Joshua Johnson are acting as co-interim chiefs. In their new roles, Hatcher and Johnson are collaborating on many efforts continued from Heikkinen’s time. Johnson said that their current priority projects are the implementation of body cameras and a new program for the university alarm system.
“I continue to push forward priorities such as upgrading camera systems, upgrading our communications equipment, as well as … some of the emergency signage and equipment that are around campus, such as the emergency buttons,” Johnson said.
Johnson remembers Heikkinen’s legacy as he continues her efforts within DPS.
“I think she was a change maker,” Johnson said. “She was open to ideas. She did her best to find a balance of what was proposed and what was feasible.”
Heikkinen’s departure comes amid both national unrest and wariness towards law enforcement and doubts on the safety of St. Louis. Goodwin said these issues will guide his search for the next DPS chief.
“I can understand the anxiety, the frustration, the fear that exists in our country on that topic,” Goodwin said.
“Safety on this campus is the number one concern that I hear about from students, from prospective students, from their families,” Goodwin said. “I take that very seriously, and this — hiring the leader of a department that has its chief mission is to create a safe learning and living environment — is my top priority.”
Johnson encouraged students to discuss their concerns openly with DPS. He said the department has a continued duty to student outreach and engagement in order to create a sense of safety on campus.
“I understand that there are reasons for concerns based on individual or group experiences or just observations of law enforcement agencies as a whole,” Johnson said. “We are here as a resource to our community, but we can’t provide that without the trust that comes hand in hand, so I work to make sure that our department creates and establishes those relationships.”
