Description
The City of Long Beach, CA (City) is seeking an experienced and passionate law enforcement professional to serve as its next
Chief of Police. The Chief of Police serves as the chief law enforcement and public safety executive for the City of Long Beach and provides strategic leadership, direction, and oversight for all police and public safety operations. The Chief of Police will oversee for department operations, crime prevention, investigations, emergency preparedness, emergency preparedness, budgetary and staffing resources, and collaborative partnerships with internal and external stakeholders. This is a unique opportunity to lead the second largest municipal police agency in Los Angeles County and provide law enforcement services to the 7th largest city in the State of Southern California. For a collaborative and forward-thinking leader energized by public safety and public service, Long Beach offers an opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the safety and resilience of an entire community.
The Community
Idyllically located on the Pacific Coast just south of Los Angeles and adjacent to Orange County, Long Beach is a vibrant city of approximately 450K residents. Known for its diverse and inclusive community, Long Beach features a unique blend of urban sophistication, cultural richness, and coastal charm. The City encompasses about 51 square miles, offering an array of parks, beaches, and recreational opportunities. Residents enjoy mild climate year-round perfect for outdoor activities such as biking, running, water sports, and much more. Long Beach is home to world-class attractions including the Aquarium of the Pacific, the historic Queen Mary, the annual IndyCar Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, and the 11k seat F&M Bank Amphitheater – the largest waterfront amphitheater on the West Coast. The City of Long Beach will serve as a major Venue City for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Long Beach also boasts a thriving economy supported by industries such as aerospace, education, health services, manufacturing, tourism and professional services. With two advanced educational institutions, California State University Long Beach and Long Beach City College, and robust K-12 schools, the City is a hub for learning and innovation. Transportation options abound. The Long Beach and Metro transit systems along with the City’s own airport provide convenient access throughout the broader Southern California region. Long Beach is recognized as one of the nation’s most walkable and bike-friendly cities.
The City Government
Long Beach operates as a charter city governed by an elected Mayor and nine City Council members elected by district. The City Manager, appointed by the Mayor and City Council, oversees the daily operations of 15 departments and a Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) annual budget of $4B. The City employs over 6K full-time and part-time staff; dedicated to providing exceptional public services with the vast majority being represented by eleven employee associations. As the City navigates a challenging fiscal environment and addresses projected budget shortfalls, City Leadership remains focused on strategic prioritization, operational efficiency, and long-term organizational sustainability while continuing to deliver high-quality services to the community.
- City Departments
- Citywide FY27 Budget
- 2030 Strategic Vision
- Elevate ’28 Infrastructure Investment Plan
The City of Long Beach fosters an environment where every employee is celebrated for their individuality and unique talents they bring to their role. Reflecting the diversity of the community within the workforce is a key priority embraced at every level of the organization and integrated into hiring, professional development, leadership, and organizational decision-making. City Leadership actively promotes equity and inclusion by partnering with staff and community stakeholders to foster a more inclusive, accessible, and transparent organization. Transparency remains a cornerstone of these efforts with demographic data, including workforce diversity and pay equity by race and gender, shared publicly to ensure accountability and progress.
The Department
The Long Beach Police Department is the second largest municipal police agency in Los Angeles County and provides law enforcement services to the 7th largest city in the State of California. With over X sworn officers and a total staffing of 1,191 personnel, LBPD is dedicated to professional, proactive and innovative policing and is committed to building and maintaining positive relationships with the diverse community they serve. With an annual operating budget of over $344 million, the Department also provides contracted law enforcement services to the Port of Long Beach, Long Beach Airport, Long Beach Transit, and Long Beach City College.
The Department provides a diverse array of services to safely and constitutionally address a variety of public safety concerns. Its core services include 24/7 response to 9-1-1 emergencies and general calls for service, criminal investigations, victim support, police contract services supplied to external agencies, and a growing workload stemming from federal and state legislative mandates. The Department continues to augment its basic patrol services with its Quality of Life Teams, Mental Health Evaluation Teams, and has increased its partnerships with regional partners that provide long term care for individuals experiencing homelessness and/or requiring mental health services, care, and intervention.
The Department Operates In The Following Bureaus And Divisions
The
Executive Office consists of the Chief of Police and Assistant Chief of Police is responsible for promoting collaborations and innovations in managing many of the priority issues, including crime fighting strategies, use of force, de-escalation and building public trust. Responsibilities include strategic planning, vision development, managing legislative mandates, strategic communications and fostering partnerships with other law enforcement agencies, City departments and the community amongst other things.
Internal Affairs is responsible for investigating allegations of misconduct involving any member of the Department. Investigators are Department supervisors who receive specialized training in conducting personnel investigations. The investigative process is meant to provide a thorough, fair and objective review of misconduct allegations made by the public
.
The
Administration Bureau is comprised of the Personnel Division, Records Division, and the Community Engagement Division. The
Records Division manages departmental records, fleet vehicles, and technology activities. The
Personnel Division is responsible for the personnel and payroll services for the nearly 1,191 police Department employees. The
Community Engagement Division is responsible for the Business Desk Operations, Live Scan services, Media Relations Detail and volunteer opportunities.
The
Financial Bureau is responsible for processing purchase orders for payment, issuing billings, preparing the annual budget and monitoring its execution, performing financial analyses, and providing office supplies to the Department.
The
Investigations Bureau is comprised of the Detective Division, Gang and Violent Crimes Division, Forensic Science Services Division, and the Criminal Intelligence Section. The detectives and support staff are dedicated to investigating crimes, analyzing evidence, apprehending suspects, preventing abuse, and promoting positive relationships between officers and youth. The Bureau includes five 24-hour on-call teams which include the Sexual Assault Response Team, Homicide Investigations Team, Domestic Abuse Response Team, Crime Lab Response Team, and the Child Abuse Response Team.
The
Patrol Bureau is the Department's largest bureau encompassing over 40% of the organization's budget and more than 50% of its personnel. The Patrol Bureau includes one specialized Field Support Division and three geographical divisions: North, East and West. Officer deployment occurs annually. Supporting the "beat integrity" concept to develop trust and ownership, officers are assigned to a beat for a minimum of one year.
The
Support Bureau provides varied services and includes the Jail Division, Port Police Division, Security Services Division, and the Training Division.
EXAMPLES OF DUTIES
The Position
The Chief of Police reports directly to the City Manager and is the City's chief law enforcement officer. The Chief of Police is responsible for public safety and security, serving as the lead for public response to citywide safety emergencies and large public events, establishing and maintaining a stable organizational environment, ensuring the effective and efficient utilization of personnel, financial and material resources and providing police services that are responsive to the changing needs and conditions within the City of Long Beach. The Chief will work closely with the Office of Constitutional Policing to ensure the Department meets community public safety concerns through a forward-looking evaluation of current policies, procedures, and training with a focus on a transformative culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Significant issues identified in the current budget include crime reduction, gang-related violence, homeland security and resource optimization. As the Department Director, the Chief must strategically provide efficient police services and adhere to the increasing demands for efficient utilization of police resources. This requires creative utilization of budgetary allocations to respond to community needs, crime and advancing technology.
The Ideal Candidate
The next Chief of Police for the Department must be both an inspirational leader and astute manager. Must have considerable experience and track record in working with diverse communities, and expertise in developing crime reduction strategies. Must be capable of effectively inspiring, motivating and supporting a police force and employees, and be skilled at building trust with the broader community. The ideal candidate must have experience in financial management, technology, recruitment, deployment, labor relations and creating a work environment that encourages problem solving and innovation. They will guide the Department towards building greater trust and strengthening relationships through increased responsiveness, transparency, and accountability. They must have the ability evaluate trends, data, and community input and lead change as necessary. Must be abreast of emerging national, regional and local trends, issues, and challenges facing the City’s public safety, and proactive in effectively planning for and responding to these issues and challenges. They will promote positive, inclusive, culturally competent policies, programs, systems, and services that improve outcomes for all Long Beach community members and set professional standards that will make the Department a national model for effective and responsible policing by supporting the 21st Century Policing Model. The ideal candidate will be a strong manager who will lead by example, mentor and motivate those under their command. They will be a strategic thinker, well organized, a creative problem solver, enthusiastic and proactive with a customer service orientation. This person will also be confident, persuasive, decisive and an effective communicator, who is accessible, people-oriented and will feel comfortable taking an active and visible role in the community. This person will be open to new ideas and a team player.
Requirements To File
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
- Education: A Bachelor's degree in Administration of Justice, Public or Business administration, Political Science or a closely related field.
- Experience: Status as a current or former employee of the Long Beach Police Department with the rank of Commander or above, OR Experience as a Chief of Police or Assistant/Deputy Chief of Police, with a strong preference for working experience in California.
- California P.O.S.T. certified peace officer holding a P.O.S.T. Management or Executive certification.
- Possession of a valid California Driver’s License. Out of state candidates will be required to obtain a California Driver’s license upon hire.
- Desired: A Master's degree in Administration of Justice, Public or Business Administration, Political Science or a closely related field or graduation from the P.O.S.T Command College and/or FBI National Academy is highly desirable.
SALARY AND BENEFITS:An annual salary of
$300,028.879 - $315,212.844 DOE/DOQ, plus a generous benefits package that includes:
- The Long Beach Management Association is in active contract negotiations with the City of Long Beach, which may result in an increase to the bottom and top of this salary range.
- Retirement: California Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) defined benefit retirement plan, which is coordinated with Social Security. 2.5% @55 for "Classic" members and 2% @62 for new members as defined by PEPRA. Subject to employee contribution. Both the City and the employee contribute toward CalPERS retirement contributions. The City also participates in Social Security.
- Health and Dental Insurance: The City offers an HMO and PPO option for health and dental insurance coverage.City pays a major portion of the premiums.
- Life Insurance: City-paid term life insurance policy equal to three (3) times annual salary to a maximum of $500,000.
- Disability: City-paid short-term and long-term disability insurance.
- Management Physical: Annual City-paid physical examination.
- Vacation: 12 days per year, increasing with years of service. Prior years of public sector service counted towards vacation accrual tier
- Executive Leave: 40 hours per year. City Manager has discretion to grant an additional 40 hours annually.
- Sick Leave: One day earned per month (8 hours); unlimited accumulation; conversion upon retirement to cash credit toward health and/or dental insurance premiums.
- Holidays: Eleven (11) designated holidays per year, plus four (4) personal holidays to be used at the employee’s discretion.
- Transportation Allowance: $650 per month.
- Deferred Compensation: 457 Deferred Compensation Plan; 401(a) plan with City contribution of 2% (Classic) or 5% (PEPRA)
- Optional Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
- Flexible/Hybrid Work Schedule: Available (subject to City Manager approval).
- Paid Parental Leave: The City provides one hundred and sixty (160) hours of Paid Parental Leave at 100% of salary, for the birth, adoption or foster placement of a child, regardless of the gender, marital status or sexual orientation of the parent.
- Negotiable relocation assistance
SELECTION PROCEDURE
This recruitment will close at 11:59 PM Pacific Time on (DATE), (MONTH), 2026. To be considered, please submit an online application, including a cover letter, resume, and proof of education (if qualifying with a degree) in PDF format . Applications that fail to include all necessary documents will be considered incomplete and will not be taken into consideration.
Applications will be reviewed for depth and breadth of experience, and for level and relatedness of education. The most qualified candidates will be invited to participate in further selection procedures. The selected candidate may be required to go through a background check and a physical examination prior to appointment. Applicants who do not meet the minimum requirements, including submission of all required attachments, will not be considered. For questions regarding this recruitment, please contact 562-570-6035
.
The City of Long Beach is an
Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as an individual with a disability, or other characteristics protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. We value diversity in our workforce and are committed to creating a workplace where every employee is respected and included. We strive to reflect the diversity of our community at all levels of the organization, promote fair and equitable employment practices, advance equity, and inclusion through our work with staff and community partners, and promote transparency by publishing workforce demographic information, including diversity and pay data by race and gender.
The City of Long Beach will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the
California Fair Chance Act. You are not required to disclose your criminal history or participate in a background check until you receive a conditional job offer. If the City of Long Beach has concerns about a conviction that is directly related to the job after making a conditional job offer and conducting a background check, you will have the opportunity to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide evidence to mitigate concerns, or challenge the accuracy of the background report. Find out more about the Fair Chance Act by visiting https://calcivilrights.ca.gov/fair-chance-act .
The City of Long Beach is committed to maintaining fairness and transparency in our hiring practices. We believe in providing equal opportunities to all applicants and ensuring that every applicant is evaluated based on their qualifications and merit. If you believe that you have been unjustly disqualified based on minimum qualifications for an unclassified job opportunity, you have the right to appeal the decision. Find out more about the
Unclassified Applicant Appeal Process by visiting Applicant Appeal Process (longbeach.gov) .
The City of Long Beach intends to provide reasonable accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. If special accommodation is desired, or if you would like to request this information in an alternative format, please call (562) 570-6035.
In support of the City’s Language Access Policy, bilingual skills (Spanish, Khmer and/or Tagalog) are desirable for positions interacting with the public.
For technical support with your governmentjobs.com application, please contact (855) 524-5627.
