Welcome to the Herd: Two Additions to Campus Police
Although they’ve been on campus for awhile, a warm welcome to the two newest members of the Campus Police. We recently caught up with Lieutenant David Nieves and Officer Jessica Brandon.
Campus Police Officer Jessica Brandon
A native of Massachusetts’ South Shore, Officer Jessica Brandon (she/her) joined the Campus Police at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine last March. She has served Tufts University since 2018, when she started as a dispatcher on the Medford campus and became an officer after graduating from the Northern Essex Community College Police Academy in 2021.
“I love the community that the Grafton campus has cultivated,” Brandon explains. “People are genuinely kind and working to help animals.”
A graduate of UMass Amherst with a bachelor’s degree in sociology, Brandon enjoys interacting with members of the Tufts community and visiting the animals around the Cummings School campus. “I look forward to getting to know both the people and the campus better,” she says.
Although she does not currently own a pet, Brandon lost Gronk, a seven-year-old Bernese Mountain dog, to lymphoma. Brandon shares, “He was the best hiking buddy.” In her spare time, Jessica enjoys hiking, traveling, or curling up with a good book.
Campus Police Lieutenant David Nieves
“Cummings School has a great reputation with a beautiful campus,” says new Public Safety Lieutenant David Nieves (he/his). “With a highly regarded University and Campus Police Department, it has the best of both worlds and something that I wanted to be a part of.”
A local resident, Nieves grew up in nearby Clinton and retired from the Massachusetts State Police last April as a detective lieutenant, after 26 years of service to the Commonwealth.
After a lengthy tenure with the State Police, Nieves joined Campus Police in December and quickly embraced several aspects of his new position. “I enjoy the everyday interactions with the members of the Cummings School community. I am excited to establish positive relations and trust between the campus community and the police department,” he says.
Nieves holds a B.S. in business administration from UMass Lowell and a M.S. in criminal justice administration from Western New England University.
At home, Nieves and his family are the proud owners of Duke, a 9-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. “He is my first pet,” Nieves explains. “I’ll admit I was against getting a dog when we started the conversation, but I got outvoted. Now, I am so happy because my love for Duke is immense.”