The Police Department at the University of Central Florida has a new chief, the first female leader in department history.
But Robin Griffin-Kitzerow is much more than that.
During her time in South Florida she developed a way to identify potential threats before they became violent and brought that strategy to UCF.
The campus, one of the largest in the nation, has twice narrowly avoided probable mass shootings over the past 12 years.
In 2013, a former student was stopped before he could follow through with his plan to “kill and injure as many UCF students as possible” with explosives.
[FLASHBACK VIDEO: UCF police chief talks about campus safety]
In 2018, a foreign student who “displayed disturbing behavior” was detained and deported after changing his appearance and purchasing a high-powered rifle and a sports car in cash.
Before she was hired as UCF PD’s Deputy Chief in 2022, Griffin-Kitzerow served as deputy chief at Florida Atlantic University Police Department “and spent 20 years in leadership roles with the Palm Beach County School District,” according to a UCF news release.
“In 2018, Griffin-Kitzerow led a juvenile rehabilitation effort in Palm Beach County. In response to the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in the same year, she developed a proactive strategy to identify and manage potential threats before they could escalate,” the news release said. “This vision led to the creation of a multi-disciplinary investigations division focused on threat assessment and intervention. She brought that same approach to UCFPD, where she has worked to support and enhance the Threat Management Team into a comprehensive unit of detectives, an intelligence analyst and a mental health clinician that works collaboratively to monitor individuals of concern.”
News 6 spotlighted UCF PD’s Threat Management Team and Persons of Concern detectives in 2020.
[VIDEO BELOW: UCF student deported over ‘disturbing behavior’]
Detectives crisscross the campus, following up on tips from teachers and classmates and even parents, monitor any threats and bring support to students who are struggling or in crisis.
Griffin-Kitzerow said she knew she wanted to be a police officer when she graduated from high school.
She went to her local police chief and begged him to send her to the police academy but was told she was “too feminine.” She said that only motivated her more.
Eventually she was given a spot in the police academy - at night - in exchange for working as a dispatcher during the day.
It taught her grit, Griffin-Kitzerow said. Besides earning the promotion to police chief, she also achieved a doctorate degree and three master’s degrees.
[VIDEO BELOW: UCF names new chief of police]
“As she steps into her new role, Incoming Chief Griffin-Kitzerow becomes UCF’s first-ever “Dr. Chief” — a title that reflects both her subject matter expertise and her unwavering dedication to public service,” the news release said.
Griffin-Kitzerow was sworn in at the Fairwinds Alumni Center at 3 p.m. Monday.