John Thomas, UCLA’s interim chief of police since December 2022, is now leading the university’s police department permanently after being selected from an experienced pool of candidates. His appointment was announced in the UCLA Newsroom in January.
“I look forward to working with Chief Thomas in the years ahead as he leads our campus safety team,” said Administrative Vice Chancellor Michael Beck.
Prior to UCLA, Chief Thomas served as special advisor to the senior vice president for administration at the University of Southern California. Chief Thomas was the USC Department of Public Safety’s executive director and chief from 2013 to 2022, assistant chief from 2009 to 2013 and police captain from 2006 to 2009.
Previously, he served as the University of the District of Columbia deputy chief of police and emergency management from 2005 to 2006 and has served in various roles in the Los Angeles Police Department, where he rose to the level of lieutenant.
Thomas is well known for his collaborative and community-oriented approach to public safety, as well as his strong commitment to the mentorship of law enforcement and civic leaders. He serves on the board of directors for various professional organizations, including the Los Angeles Police Museum, FBI National Academy Associates, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives and the Pac-12 Chiefs Association. He is also affiliated with the Police Executive Research Forum and the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
In addition, he was a researcher and contributor to the National Policing Institute’s Assessment and Report on Findings on Policing National Best Practices and is a workstream leader on community response to lower-level offenses and calls for service. He is also an accomplished amateur historian who corrected longstanding errors in how the LAPD had recorded the stories of two Black officers from decades earlier.
Thomas is also an alumnus of UCLA, attending from 1980 to 1984. During this time, he was editor-in-chief of the Black student publication NOMMO and worked at the ASUCLA bookstore.
“It is an honor and privilege to be appointed to lead the dedicated public servants of the UCLA Police Department,” said Thomas. “Being a student at UCLA was transformative for me, so being able to serve the campus is my small way of giving back.”
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Monroe Gorden Jr. chaired the search committee which included members of the UCLA community and law enforcement representatives.
