HAVERHILL – David Hobbs, a law enforcement leader with 27 years of municipal and campus policing experience, became the University of New Hampshire’s chief of police Monday.
Hobbs served as chief of police and director of public safety at Northern Essex Community College in Massachusetts, where he led public safety operations across campuses in Haverhill and Lawrence. He was in charge of NECC’s department providing 24-hour police and security services and was responsible for emergency preparedness, campus security and compliance with federal campus safety requirements.
As chief, Hobbs will oversee a department of 81 employees across UNH’s campuses in Durham, Manchester and Concord. He will manage aspects of UNH campus safety services, including law enforcement, emergency management, risk management, global security programs, building security, access control, and compliance with federal reporting requirements.
“David brings the combination of campus policing experience and New Hampshire law enforcement leadership we were looking for,” said Robert Watling, executive vice president for finance and administration. “He understands that a university police department has to be prepared to respond when something goes wrong, but its officers also need to know the community they serve and earn its trust every day. I’m pleased to welcome him back to New Hampshire and to UNH.”
At Northern Essex, Hobbs updated department policies and procedures, expanded community safety programs and overseen improvements to campus access controls, security cameras and emergency notification systems. He also serves on the college’s behavioral threat assessment team and works with student affairs, athletics and Title IX staff on campus safety issues.
Before joining Northern Essex, Hobbs spent more than two decades with the Hampton, New Hampshire, Police Department, serving as chief from 2021 to 2022 and deputy chief from 2014 to 2021. As chief, he led a department of 39 full-time officers, as many as 70 part-time officers and 10 civilian employees serving a community whose population grows from about 16,000 to more than 75,000 during the summer. His responsibilities included emergency response, department policy, budgets and coordination with other law enforcement agencies.
“I’ve found that the best policing starts with relationships, and that’s especially true at a university,” Hobbs said. “I’m looking forward to getting to know UNH students, faculty, and staff and making sure our officers are visible, approachable and prepared. When people know their police department and trust the people in it, we’re in a much better position to work together when problems come up.”
Hobbs is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and holds a master’s degree in justice studies with a concentration in public administration from Southern New Hampshire University and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Framingham State College. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve from 1997 to 2004.
UNH has more than 15,000 students from 50 states and 87 countries.