Dr. Oscar Odom

Associate Professor - UVA Center for Public Safety and Justice

Dr. Oscar Odom III currently serves as an Associate Professor of Public Safety. Previously, he served as the Vice President of Security for the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation. Dr. Odom has served as a Commissioner on the New York City Districting Commission. He is the former First Deputy Sheriff Commissioner and Four-Star Chief of the New York City Sheriff’s Office, and a retired New York City Police Detective with 20 years of service. Dr. Odom has served New York City Mayors David Dinkins, Rudy Giuliani, and Michael Bloomberg. Dr. Odom has held several assignments in the New York City Police Department, including Patrol Officer, Police Academy Instructor, Intelligence Division, Career Criminal Investigation Unit, and Juvenile Crime Squad (Fugitive Enforcement Division). He serves as a news commentator on policing, emergency management, criminal justice, and terrorism issues. Throughout his 20-year academic career, Dr. Odom has served as a professor in graduate and undergraduate colleges in criminal justice, law, and emergency & disaster management. He is a member of the Oxford Roundtable in the United Kingdom and a Fulbright Scholar, Criminology Peer Reviewer. Dr. Odom is a Life Member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), New York State Chiefs of Police Association, and American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS). Dr. Odom earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Correction Administration from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Juris Doctor degree from the City University of New York School of Law, where he served as Associate Editor of the Law Review, and earned his Doctorate of Education degree with a Specialization in Educational Leadership and Management.

Sessions