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Former Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey Joins Drexel University as Distinguished Fellow

Former Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey is joining a city university as a distinguished fellow to work on urban revitalization.

Drexel University announced Thursday that Ramsey, who recently retired after helming the Philadelphia Police Department for eight years, will join the university as its inaugural Distinguished Visiting Fellow of the Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation. During his two-year appointment at Drexel, Ramsey will also be affiliated with the Department of Criminology and Justice Studies.

University officials said the Institute for Urban Innovation is an initiative that aligns academic work with the practical need for urban revitalization.

“Commissioner Ramsey has been a transformative force in the Philadelphia Police Department, and will help shape the Lindy Institute’s work around issues such as 21st century policing,” Drexel President John A. Fry said in a statement. “The Department of Criminology and Justice Studies will also benefit from his deep expertise and the opportunities for learning and exchange that he will bring to the Drexel community.”

Ramsey will be joining at least one familiar face at Drexel: Former Philadelphia Police Deputy Commissioner Kevin Bethel, who worked alongside the former commissioner, recently joined the university to work on a school-to-prison pipeline diversion program at Dr. Naomi Goldstein's Juvenile Justice Research and Reform Lab, housed at Drexel.

During his tenure as police commissioner, Ramsey was named co-chair of President Barack Obama's Task Force on 21st Century Policing. He also held leadership positions in police departments in Washington, DC and Chicago during his nearly five-decade career.

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