Surrounded by family, friends, coworkers and community members, Bart Knowles was sworn in as UF Police Department chief Monday morning, vowing to lead with a team-focused approach and support the university’s mission of excellence.
Knowles has served as interim chief since June after his predecessor, Linda Stump-Kurnick, was promoted to a position in central administration. He was tapped for the role permanently in November following a national search.
While he acknowledged it wasn’t a huge transition for him, Knowles said he’s excited to officially put his stamp on the agency.
“I'm stepping into an organization that's running pretty well, and there's a lot of pressure there to continue that,” he said. “I have no doubt in my mind that we're gonna push forward, and we're gonna continue to excel in the category of law enforcement.”
Knowles said part of that mission is developing strategic goals with human resources and emphasizing the importance of collaboration. He said his primary focus will be officer recruitment and retention.
Knowles is the father to two UF students, Cale and Reese Knowles, a role he said is a “bonus” to his professional career.
“I genuinely feel like I got 55,000 kids here to some degree,” he said. “I’m gonna treat them like my kids.”
He began tearing up as he addressed his family during the ceremony, thanking them for their support.
Cale Knowles, a 22-year-old biology senior, said his dad is “a big inspiration.”
“It's really awesome seeing him in his profession as someone who works for the greater good of others and strives for excellence,” he said.
Knowles began his law enforcement career in 1988 as a deputy for the Hernando County Sheriff's Department. He transferred to the Gainesville Police Department in 1991 and accepted a position with UPD in 2010.
Several of his colleagues, both previous and current, attended the ceremony and praised Knowles for his accomplishments, expressing excitement about his new role.
“It’s so great to see him getting promoted,” said Ed Book, chief of the Santa Fe College Police Department. Book, who used to work with Knowles at GPD, called Knowles “the best choice” and said he was a “man of integrity” with a mission to support others.
Among the 100 or so people also in attendance was UPD Chaplain Bishop Chris Stokes, a prominent community leader from Micanopy. He led the ceremony in a closing prayer and said Knowles will take the university’s police department to the “next level.”
The ceremony, he said, reflected Knowles’ strong leadership and commitment to bettering the UF community.
“It’s really an honor to watch him,” he said. “It shows the power of possibility.”
Contact Grace McClung at gmcclung@alligator.org. Follow her on X @gracenmclung
Grace McClung is a third-year journalism major and the university administration reporter for The Alligator. In her free time, Grace can be found running, going to the beach and writing poetry.
