It is a pleasure to announce the appointment of John Thomas as the Interim Police Chief for UCPD. Interim Chief Thomas’ service officially began on January 1, 2023, and he will continue to serve with UCPD while a comprehensive search for a permanent Chief begins later this year.
John Thomas has worked in law enforcement and public safety for more than 38 years, and has extensive experience in all aspects of leading a law enforcement agency. He began his career at LAPD as a patrol officer and rose through the ranks, retiring as a Lieutenant II in 2005 and joining campus law enforcement at the University of the District of Columbia (an HBCU in D.C.). He also served 16+ years at the University of Southern California, initially as Assistant Chief and for the last nine years as their Executive Director/Chief. Prior to his recent retirement from USC, he oversaw more than 350 patrol, administrative, and operational personnel and managed a $52 million annual operating budget.
Throughout his career, John has served as a collaborative leader, coach, and mentor within his departments and for other municipal and higher education agencies. He has also been involved with a number of professional law enforcement organizations including the Consent Decree Monitoring Team for the Aurora Colorado Police Department. Having worked closely with UCPD over the years, he is familiar with the unique commitments associated with UCPD’s role within the community.
John is a proud Bruin as he attended UCLA as an undergraduate student where he was Editor in Chief of the Black student publication, NOMMO. He earned an Executive Master of Leadership from the University of Southern California, an Associate of Arts in Biblical Studies from Cottonwood Leadership College, a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts from Mount Saint Mary’s University, and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy.
