Benjamin Hunter began his role as superintendent for public safety at Indiana University in
As member of the senior staff in the Office of the Executive Vice President for University Academic Affairs, Hunter oversees and advises university leadership on strategy, policy, and execution for a variety of areas designed to maintain an appropriate level of assurance in university operations and activities: emergency preparedness and response, administrative and academic continuity, policing and community safety, homeland security, emergency communications, university event management, and environmental health and safety. As superintendent, he is responsible for comprehensive strategy, policy and practices for public safety across Indiana University, including the Indiana University Police Department, which has more than 135 sworn officers across all IU campuses. He also is responsible for the Indiana University Police Academy.
Before returning to IU, he was executive director of public safety, community relations and government affairs at Butler University, where he also served for a period as chief of staff to Butler University President James M. Danko while overseeing the university’s Department of Public Safety and University Events office. His law enforcement career included a stint with IUPD-IUPUI and then 10 years with the Indianapolis Police Department before his transition to higher education law enforcement at Butler. Hunter has a deep interest in community policing, something he developed while working as a community liaison for three different deputy police chiefs at the Indianapolis Police Department (now called Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department).
Hunter was elected to two four-year terms on the Indianapolis City-County Council, ending in December 2015.
