Tommye Sutton
Interim Chief of Police
Tommye Sutton currently serves as Interim Chief of Police at the Vanderbilt University Police Department. His career has included executive-level service at the University of Virginia as Chief of Police, as well as at the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University. He has extensive experience leading police, security, and emergency management teams at Tier I research institutions and global branch campuses, including those with nationally recognized medical facilities and student populations exceeding 20,000. His professional focus includes fair and equitable policing strategies grounded in accountability, inclusiveness, mutual respect, and performance measurement.
His passion for service has given him broad experience building and sustaining relationships with diverse stakeholders to support high-quality service delivery, while implementing industry-standard accountability measures. In his current role, he leads Patrol Operations, Investigations, Technology and Security Initiatives, Training, Emergency Communications, Dignitary Protection, and Records for Vanderbilt University, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and Vanderbilt Health at 100 Oaks.
A native of Greenville, Mississippi, Interim Chief Sutton holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Southern Mississippi and a master’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Tennessee State University. He is also a graduate of Northwestern University's Center for Public Safety - School of Police Staff and Command, and Session 58 of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department Police Academy. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Public Administration and Policy.
He is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA), the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Steven Engstrom
Interim Deputy Chief of Police
Steven Engstrom is the Interim Deputy Chief of Police. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and a Master’s in Criminal Justice, both from Bethel University. He graduated from the Metro Nashville Police Training Academy in 2008 and is nationally certified as a “Train the Trainer” Police Training Officer.
Prior to his career with Vanderbilt, Interim Deputy Chief Engstrom served as a Firefighter II and Hazmat Specialist for the City of Savage, Minnesota.
Before his current assignment, he held a range of positions including Patrol Officer, Field Training Officer, Patrol Sergeant, Sergeant Detective, Emergency Management Sergeant, Lieutenant of the Dignitary Protection Unit, and Captain of the Accreditation and Compliance Unit. In his current role, he oversees safety, security, and law enforcement operations for the Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Patrick Conwell
Police Inspector & Chief Security Officer
Patrick Conwell serves as a Police Inspector with the Vanderbilt University Police Department and as the Chief Security Officer for Vanderbilt University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Homeland Security from Austin Peay State University and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Bethel University. A graduate of the Southeastern Leadership Academy, he was recognized with both the Leadership Award and the Innovator Award. He is certified as a RADAR instructor, emergency vehicle operations instructor, response to terrorist bombings instructor, and crash investigator. He is an active member of the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police, serving on the technology and university committees.
Before joining Vanderbilt, Inspector Conwell served in the U.S. Army, including a deployment to Afghanistan as Executive Officer for a logistics and transportation unit. While deployed, he commanded the Tactical Operations Center and led all combat missions for his unit. He was later promoted to Captain and served as the Battalion Special Projects Officer (Transportation) and Battalion Battle Captain. His military service earned him the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, and Army Commendation Medal, and he was named Officer of the Year for his battalion.
In his law enforcement career, Inspector Conwell has served as a patrol officer, community relations liaison, explosive detection canine handler, instructor, shift supervisor, technical services captain, and major of the campus patrol precinct. In his current role, he oversees public safety technology, dispatch, records, special event security, accreditation and compliance, and fleet operations.
Michael Pring
Police Inspector & Chief Security Officer
Michael Pring is a Police Inspector with the Vanderbilt University Police Department and serves as the Chief Security Officer for Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Middle Tennessee State University.
Inspector Pring is an active member of the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police, the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators, and the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety. He serves on several committees, including those focused on finance oversight, professional standards, university affairs, leadership and membership development, and future leaders in public safety. He is a 2018 graduate of the Southeastern Leadership Academy and holds certifications as a Certified Healthcare Protection Administrator, Rape Aggression Defense Instructor, and in Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design.
Before joining Vanderbilt, Inspector Pring held leadership roles with several national retailers, where he partnered with law enforcement agencies to design and implement loss prevention strategies. His work focused on reducing shrink, improving internal controls, and creating safer environments for employees and customers.
At Vanderbilt, he previously served in the Patrol Division, beginning as a patrol officer and rising through the ranks to Lieutenant. In his current role, he leads community engagement and crime prevention initiatives for the Medical Center, supports accreditation and compliance with The Joint Commission, and provides security consultation for offsite clinical locations, including walk-in clinics and Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital. He also works closely with the Office of Legal Affairs to align safety policies across the university and medical center. Inspector Pring represents Vanderbilt University Public Safety on the University Staff Advisory Council, where he has served as President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Committee Chair.