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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Former Pennsylvania State Police trooper and King&#8217;s College class of &#8216;89 graduate James Gilgallon has been appointed as his alma mater&#8217;s executive director of campus safety and security.</p><p>King&#8217;s sent out a media release Wednesday announcing the appointment, noting Gilgallon earned his bachelor degree at King&#8217;s and joined the state police as a trooper in 1992.</p><p>His positions there included seven years in the Criminal Investigation Unit, corporal managing daily operations for the criminal unit/detective unit, sergeant serving as patrol unit supervisor and criminal investigation section supervisor, and lieutenant, eastern section commander, internal affairs division.</p><p>Gilgallon was promoted to captain in 2016.</p><p>Gilgallon steps into a post that garnered some attention last summer when former Wilkes-Barre Police Chief Gerard Dessoye stepped down as King&#8217;s security director after nearly two years on the job.</p><p>Dessoye gave no reason for his departure at the time and King&#8217;s spokesman John McAndrew declined comment.</p><p>A 1979 graduate of King&#8217;s, Dessoye left the Wilkes-Barre police department after 33 years distinguished by earning medals for heroism and combat, including being shot in a hotel on Kidder Street in 1991, having shot and killed a man, and having his leg broken in two places during a raid at a bar.</p><p>The King&#8217;s media release noted Gilgallon &#8220;will be responsible for maintaining a safe environment for King&#8217;s students, faculty and staff; supervising the safety and security staff; and maintaining relations with Wilkes-Barre City and Luzerne County policing entities.&#8221;</p><p>He also takes over a security force that, in 2015, became the most recent college campus force to include handguns in the mix of equipment carried by some guards.</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Mark Guydish</p><p>mguydish@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish</p></shirttailMeta></div>

James Gilgallon named new security director at King’s College