Victor Clay

The new police chief introduces a new policing culture.

Photograph of Victor Clay

Victor Clay
Photograph by Jim Harrison

On Victor Clay’s twenty-first birthday, in 1984, came a knock at the door. “You want to be a deputy sheriff? Be downtown in two hours.” The Olympics were coming to Los Angeles, his future wife had taken a corporate job, and this was how Clay, who’d been street racing by night just months before, learned that he had passed the test to become a sheriff. The day he was sworn in, he recalls, he was given a cardboard box containing a badge for his uniform, one for his wallet, a revolver, and six bullets. So began a 35-year career in law enforcement, including campus chief positions at Occidental College and Caltech, before Clay became Harvard’s police chief in July 2021. When applying for the job, he was asked to share in one page his perspectives on diversity, inclusion, and belonging. He took nearly five: these topics are “way too important to limit to one page,” he says. In the same vein, “community policing” to him doesn’t mean having officers take one course—it means changing a culture he perceives as outdated and ineffective. Harvard police officers are “part of this community,” he says. “And if we do a really good job, and we’re thoughtful, and we receive critique, and improve after that critique, we’ll get more respect.” Clay is already a presence around campus, often seen walking a dog he rescued from the streets in California. When he first brought her home, he told his wife, Teree (like him, a fan of old movies), they would turn the pup into a princess, and name her Eliza Doolittle, after the character in Pygmalion. Improvement is always possible, he believes, and seems to include himself: he is learning French, and hopes to pursue a degree from Harvard, “because I’m walking across that stage.”

Read more articles by Jonathan Shaw
Related topics

You might also like

Creepy Crawlies and Sticky Murder Weapons at Harvard

In the shadows of Singapore’s forests, an ancient predator lies in wait—the velvet worm.

Harvard’s Endowment, Donations Rise—but the University Runs a Deficit

The annual financial report signals severe challenges to come.

Harvard Alum Wins Economics Nobel Prize

Philippe Aghion helped show how “creative destruction” drives growth.

Most popular

Harvard Announces Four University Professors

Catherine Dulac, Noah Feldman, Claudia Goldin, and Cumrun Vafa receive the University’s highest faculty distinction.

What Trump Means for John Roberts’s Legacy

Executive power is on the docket at the Supreme Court.

Harvard’s Class of 2029 Reflects Shifts in Racial Makeup After Affirmative Action Ends

International students continue to enroll amid political uncertainty; mandatory SATs lead to a drop in applications.

Explore More From Current Issue

Professor David Liu smiles while sitting at a desk with colorful lanterns and a figurine in the background.

This Harvard Scientist Is Changing the Future of Genetic Diseases

David Liu has pioneered breakthroughs in gene editing, creating new therapies that may lead to cures.

A lively concert in a modern auditorium with an audience seated on multiple levels.

Concerts and Carols at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Tuning into one of Boston's best chamber music halls 

Illustration of tiny doctors working inside a large nose against a turquoise background.

A Flu Vaccine That Actually Works

Next-gen vaccines delivered directly to the site of infection are far more effective than existing shots.