Since 2024, Will Werner has served as the Director of the Bureau of Administration for the WashU Police Department (WashU PD). Werner works to ensure public safety operations run smoothly and effectively every day for the Danforth Campus community.
My motivation comes from finding better ways to deliver services and implementing strategies that enhance public safety, I am driven by an understanding of how administrative and operational leadership directly impacts the safety and well-being of our community, both WashU and St. Louis as a whole.
Will Werner, director of the Bureau of Adminstration
In his role, Werner focuses on driving operational excellence, supporting personnel and aligning WashU PD’s work with the university’s mission to foster a safe and welcoming academic environment. His daily responsibilities cover several core areas, including day-to-day administration and operations for the police department, including Communications and Dispatch, leading the development and implementation of new programs, policies, and procedural manuals while coordinating across bureaus for policy reviews and maintaining accreditation standards, managing work schedules, evaluating workforce levels, and analyzing departmental metrics to ensure data-driven resource deployment, and coordinating public safety policies and technical solutions with university partners, external jurisdictions, and surrounding communities to build strong, collaborative relationships.
When it comes to leading and engaging his team, Werner likes to empower, communicate and support professional growth.
Success comes from clarity, autonomy and accountability. By giving the team absolute clarity on the mission or expectations, ownership over their execution and support from leadership to ensure they have the tools and training to be successful, I can see positive things happening in our department.
Will Werner, director of the Bureau of Adminstration
Beyond daily operations, supporting the development of his staff remains a central focus of his leadership.
“I also enjoy trying to develop the next generation of leaders at WashU PD,” Werner said. “We have tremendous talent here and I hope to support their growth.”
When he isn’t serving WashU, Werner spends time with his family. He enjoys golfing, running and biking, and relaxes by listening to music or reading.