Former Farmville Police Chief Doug Mooney has been named Interim Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police at Hampden-Sydney College.

According to an email to staff and faculty from Barbara Armentrout, the college’s director of human resources, HSC announced on Aug. 20 that Jeff Brown, the former police chief, was leaving the college effective Aug. 31. Brown accepted the position as police chief at Richard Bland College in Petersburg.

Mooney, who lives in Rice, was Farmville’s police chief for five years. He worked for 22 years with the Chesterfield Police Department.

“I’m honored to have been asked to fill in this interim role,” Mooney said. “I’m glad to be here; it’s a good college.”

He said he looks forward to interacting with the campus community. “While I have worked municipal law enforcement for a number of years, it is, I guess, interesting to get into the campus aspect of law enforcement because there are a lot of differences between municipal and campus law enforcement. It’s enjoyable for me to learn new things such as this.”

Mooney’s new position was effective Sept. 1.

“His interim service is intended to continue for a period of four months ending December 31,” stated Armentrout’s email.

The college is in the process of conducting a search for a new director of public safety and chief of police.

According to an email from Dale Jones, the college’s vice-president for administration, Brown led many successful changes during his tenure to make the campus safer.  “Some of the improvements are a state-of-the-art record management system, initiation of a public safety radio system, police bicycle patrol program, staffing of events with RMC Event Staff, better processes for Clery Act compliance and an enhanced part-time police officer program.”