Dr. Kacey Wiltz has been selected as director of public safety and chief of police for Kansas State University following a national search. Wiltz will begin serving in this role on Sept. 14.
Wiltz has more than 20 years of law enforcement experience, and she currently serves as the chief of police at Kansas City Kansas Community College. She is passionate about building a culture of safety and trust within the department and with students, faculty, staff and the greater K-State community.
Wiltz began her law enforcement career with the Topeka Police Department in 2003 and later served as a corporal with the Lawrence Police Department, where she worked as a school resource officer, or SRO, at Lawrence Free State High School and supervised the Lawrence Police Department SRO unit. Her work with students earned her the Hometown Hero Award, and in 2023, the Kansas Juvenile Officers Association named her Kansas School Resource Officer of the Year. That same year, the National Association of School Resource Officers recognized the Lawrence Police Department’s student resource officer unit with a Model Agency Award.
Throughout her career, Wiltz has also served as a crisis response team negotiator, field training officer and training coordinator. She holds a doctorate in criminal justice leadership and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in criminal justice.