SALEM — Salem State University had never held a swearing-in ceremony for its campus police chief before. But then again, Trish Murphy is not your usual campus police chief.
Murphy is the first woman to hold the position at Salem State University. The school marked the historic accomplishment with a ceremonial swearing-in on Tuesday on campus at the Sophia Gordon Center for Creative and Performing Arts.
With her husband and five children lined up on the stage behind her, Murphy was sworn in by Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker before a crowd of about 100 people, including police from several local communities and Boston-area colleges.
For Murphy, who began as police chief in June, the role is a homecoming. She graduated from Salem State in 2006 and worked as a campus police officer from 2008 to 2013.
“Knowing I was once in those Salem State students’ shoes, to be able to come back and have that perspective and have an influence over campus is something I’m very proud of,” Murphy said.
Salem State University President John Keenan said Murphy was the “overwhelming” choice of the hiring committee.
“With her experience as a Salem State police officer and first-hand knowledge of the campus and the community, the decision to hire Chief Murphy was an easy one,” Keenan said.
Murphy, 40, grew up in Beverly and graduated from Beverly High School. She said she went to Salem State with the intention of getting into radio and public relations. But after taking a job in the diversion program with the Essex County District Attorney’s Office, she turned her attention to law enforcement.
After working as a campus police officer at Salem State, Murphy became a police officer at Boston University. She eventually became a lieutenant in charge of accreditation and training coordination and earned her master’s degree in project management. (She also served as the Beverly High School field hockey coach for 17 years.)
Keenan noted that Murphy is taking over at a time of “heightened concerns” around safety on college campuses across the country, many of which saw protests last fall over the Israel-Hamas war.
“Chief Murphy is ready to make the necessary recommendations and changes required to continuously support the ever-evolving concerns of our campus and our community,” Keenan said.
Jack Zenger, a Salem State student who is president of the school’s criminal justice academy, said Murphy’s history as both a student and a police officer at Salem State “give her a deep and personal understanding of how wonderful this campus community is.”
Tucker, who started his career as a Salem State police officer and went on to become Salem police chief, noted how far the campus police department has come since he joined with little training decades ago.
“If you take a look at the Salem State police department now you will see a highly trained department,” Tucker said. “You’ll see a modern facility, a fleet of vehicles, the best technology.”
In her remarks to the audience, Murphy thanked her husband, Matt Murphy, for his support. Their five children are ages 4 to 13. She said returning to Salem State as police chief “feels incredibly full circle.
“I am honored to contribute to the same community that has played such a pivotal role in my life.”
Staff Writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2535, by email at pleighton@salemnews.com, or on Twitter at @heardinbeverly.