CUPD Chief Bellamy to retire, join Ithaca Police as deputy chief

Police Chief Anthony Bellamy, a member of the Cornell University Police Department for more than 21 years, including the last 3 ½ as chief, will retire from CUPD on Oct. 1 and join the Ithaca Police Department as a deputy chief.

Bellamy, the first Black chief in CUPD history, will take part in the ceremonial "walk-out" on Sept. 19. Deputy Chief Eric Stickel, a member of the CUPD for 17 years, will be appointed interim chief on Sept. 20.

"I am so grateful for Chief Bellamy's service and dedication to the university," said David Honan, associate vice president for public safety. "He provided strong leadership and essential community engagement during a critical period in which we reimagined the role of law enforcement at Cornell. Our department, and the community, are the better for his efforts."

Bellamy succeeded Honan as chief in 2022 as the university reorganized its law-enforcement functions to establish the Division of Public Safety, which integrated into a single organization multiple public-safety units, including CUPD. The reorganization also created the Community Response Team, to handle calls not requiring police response. The changes were among the recommendations of the Public Safety Advisory Committee, formed in 2020 following the widespread national protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd.

Bellamy, whose career in law enforcement began more than 30 years ago in Dutchess County, New York, said it was difficult breaking the news to his fellow CUPD officers.

"A leader is not going to be effective unless the team follows their vision," Bellamy said. "So I feel very fortunate and blessed to have the team here who trusted me to lead them, and I can only hope to earn that trust, collaboration and partnership with the members of the Ithaca Police Department and the community."

Bellamy will begin his new role at IPD on Oct. 2. He said his hire illustrates the strong relationship between CUPD and IPD, and he's looking forward to further strengthening those ties.

"My goal is to collaborate and create partnerships," he said. "I'm a spoke in the wheel, and I want to keep that wheel moving in a great direction and support that any way I can."

Bellamy served as a patrol officer, investigator, uniformed sergeant, major investigations unit sergeant and patrol operations lieutenant before rising to deputy chief in 2019. While at CUPD, Bellamy earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice systems from Keuka College in 2008 and a master of public administration from Marist College in 2015. He is a also a 2023 graduate of the FBI National Academy, Session 287.

He was twice recognized as the Frank G. Hammer Officer of the Month (March 2007, June 2014). He was named Officer of the Year in 2008, received the Director's Citation in 2009 and the Medal of Valor in 2015. The Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life named Bellamy the Andrew Dickson White Administrator of the Year in 2015.

When he was sworn in as chief in June of 2022, Bellamy said he would embody Ezra Cornell's founding values of "…any person… any study," noting that "I'd like to add, 'any employee.'" And among his achievements as chief, he said, was bringing an open, welcoming culture that prioritized officer wellness to the department.

"My thought is, in order for your officers to protect the community, they have to be whole," he said. "And that means putting some of your assets into supporting your officers, so that they're able to be out in the street making sound judgments."

Stickel began his CUPD career as an officer in 2008, and was promoted to patrol sergeant in 2015 and to training sergeant in 2019. In 2021, he became a uniformed lieutenant, directing evening and night shifts, and then was promoted to deputy chief in May 2022.

Stickel, who graduated from nearby Lansing High School and is the school's girls' soccer coach, said he's looking forward to continuing to build relationships with both the CUPD team and the Cornell community.

"I want to wish Chief Bellamy well with his career goals," Stickel said. "We appreciate all his efforts in keeping us the progressive, professional agency that we are, and in making the Cornell community safer. My goal is to keep that momentum going.

"Building relationships is key to that," he said, "and we hope that will foster trust with our campus partners and our community."