New UTSA Assistant Police Chief Pledges to Serve the Roadrunner Community
The UTSA Police Department (UTSAPD) once again made history as it inducted its first female assistant police chief, Angel Lemmonds, at a swearing-in ceremony on Aug. 10 in front of students, faculty, staff and friends of the university. Additional history was made as a new milestone was achieved: UTSAPD becomes the first police department in the UT System to have two women, Lemmonds and Chief Stephanie Schoenborn, serve in the top two leadership positions.
"This is an exciting time to be at UTSA as we experience change and growth across all areas of the university," said Chief Schoenborn. "As we celebrate the 50 th anniversary of UTSAPD, I am honored to welcome Angel to our thriving campus. I know that she is passionate about serving the UTSA community, and is dedicated to public service. I am confident that her experience in higher education will only further impact the growth and success of UTSA Public Safety."
Chief Schoenborn, along with Veronica Salazar, senior vice president for Business Affairs and chief enterprise development officer and Ruben Puente, UT System assistant director of Police, spoke at the morning ceremony. UTSAPD Lt. Shawn Smith presided as Master of Ceremony, and Public Safety Officer Supervisor George Dilworth gave the invocation and benediction.
As assistant chief of police, Lemmonds is responsible for coordinating the strategic and operational objectives of the administration of the UTSAPD, including providing leadership and guidance and assisting the chief of police on the development and implementation of goals, policies and procedures. She oversees patrol, investigations and support services divisions, which includes the telecommunications center, community affairs, internal affairs, and recruiting and hiring.
"I commit to being an advocate for the success of our officers, speaking up on their behalf, and helping them achieve their goals by creating an environment in which they can thrive," said Lemmonds. "I would like to thank Chief Schoenborn and Senior Vice President Salazar for entrusting me with this incredible opportunity."
Lemmonds’ dedication to public safety began in 1994 at UT Medical Branch in Galveston, where she served as a public safety officer. She entered the UT System Police Academy in 1999, and later transferred in 2002 to UTHealth Houston, where she served as a patrol sergeant for 11 years. In 2013, Lemmonds joined UT System Office of the Director of Police, where she served as senior inspector.
Lemmonds, along with Schoenborn, will lead UTSAPD’s 47 sworn officers and 56 civilians employees.