Vice President for Safety, Security & Preparedness

Kelly Nee was appointed the first female chief of police for Boston University in May of 2017 after a distinguished 33-year career with the Boston Police Department.

While with the Boston Police Department, Chief Nee worked in various, diverse communities within the city and was a supervisor in the Youth Violence Strike Force, Drug Control Unit, and School Police Unit. She served on the Suffolk County Steering Committee of the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiatives (JDAI), a national organization created to enhance the well-being of at-risk youth within the juvenile justice system. In 2010, she was promoted to Deputy Superintendent and commanded numerous investigative units including Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Homicide, Major Case, Forensics, and many others. She also served on the Diversity Committee to promote service with the Boston Police Department as an opportunity for underrepresented groups in the City of Boston.

During her tenure as Boston University’s Executive Director of Public Safety, Chief Nee led the organization through the merger with Wheelock College, decoupling of shared safety services with Boston Medical Center Hospital, the COVID pandemic, and massive protests in response to police violence. She supports and sits on BU’s Community Safety Advisory Group and the Governor’s Task Force on Hate Crimes. Chief Nee currently represents the Massachusetts Association of Women in Law Enforcement (MAWLE) on the Municipal Police Training Committee (MPTC), which, in the wake of police reform, is responsible for training of all police officers in Massachusetts.

In January 2023, Kelly was promoted to Chief Safety, Security & Preparedness Officer for the University and was subsequently promoted to Vice President in 2025. She oversees the University’s Emergency Management Department, Police Department, and Public Safety Department. By bringing these departments together under the Safety, Security & Preparedness umbrella, BU aims to be more proactive and strategic in fostering physical safety, well-being, security, and preparedness.