After an extensive national executive recruitment, Citrus Heights Police Chief, Ron Lawrence, has been selected to lead Costa Mesa’s highly regarded Police Department.

Chief Lawrence is a distinguished leader with 31 years of experience in law enforcement, including 10 years as the top law enforcement official in two California cities. He was appointed Chief of Police for the Northern California City of Citrus Heights on Oct. 31, 2016, overseeing a department of 157 employees and serving a population of nearly 90,000.

Chief Lawrence has held many assignments throughout his 30-plus year career, including being a court bailiff, jail deputy, patrol officer, field training officer, motorcycle officer, traffic officer, street crimes and vice officer, internal affairs investigator, personnel and training, watch-commander, division-commander as well as serving as a sergeant and lieutenant.

“Chief Lawrence will be tasked with leading one of the top-performing and innovative law enforcement agencies in the state,” said City Manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison, who selected Chief Lawrence from a talented pool of candidates. “Costa Mesa’s Police Department is well respected in our community, and I have full confidence that our new Chief will carry on the legacy of law enforcement excellence that Chief Glass and his team and prior Chiefs have worked so hard to achieve.”

Elected unanimously by his Police Chief colleagues to serve as the 54th President of the California Police Chief’s Association (CPCA), Chief Lawrence is respected throughout the state, and for the 2019/2020 term he represented all 334 municipal Police Chiefs in the state of California.

“I want to thank City Manager, Lori Ann Farrell Harrison, for her confidence in me to serve as Costa Mesa’s next Police Chief,” Chief Lawrence said. “She and her staff are doing amazing work, and I look forward to joining such a successful team. I am excited to lead the Costa Mesa Police Department and build upon the legacy of Chief Bryan Glass and so many other chiefs who have shaped the organization’s culture. The men and women of the police department are well-respected, highly skilled professionals, and I am fortunate to be a part of creating a bright future alongside them. My wife, Jennifer, and I are very excited about the next chapter in our lives working with the City Council and community, and we look forward to becoming active members of the Costa Mesa community.”

Mayor John Stephens expressed his confidence in the new Chief.

“Through a nationwide search, we have identified a strong leader for our Police Department for years to come,” Mayor Stephens said.  “Chief Lawrence has distinguished himself among his fellow chiefs, and will now serve Costa Mesa well.  I’m pleased to welcome Chief Lawrence and to support him in his efforts to keep our community safe.”

Current Chief of Police Bryan Glass also welcomed Chief Lawrence to Costa Mesa.

“I congratulate Chief Lawrence for being selected as the next Chief of Police for the Costa Mesa Police Department,” Chief Glass said. “He is an experienced law enforcement professional and seasoned chief, who can ensure the department continues to progress and provide quality police services to the Costa Mesa community.”

Chief Lawrence has experience building diverse police departments through recruitment, promotions, and succession planning. He knows how to collaborate with the community to ensure community goals are achieved, including reducing crime and traffic collisions, while building community trust.

In his early years, he grew up on a rice farm in Northern California. In 1989, he graduated from the Sacramento Sheriff’s Academy beginning his long career in law enforcement. Prior to being named Chief in Citrus Heights, Lawrence served as both the Police Chief and Captain of the City of Rocklin.

As President of the California Police Chiefs Association, he served as media spokesperson, represented CPCA with the Governor and State Attorney General, and worked closely with legislators at the State Capitol on critical public safety legislation.

He served on the CPCA Board of Directors for nine years from 2012 to 2021, chairing several crucial committees. Chief Lawrence was selected by the CPCA Board to represent the State of California as its sole representative to the State Association of Chiefs of Police (SACOP), which grants each state one delegate as a liaison to the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). Chief Lawrence has held this prestigious appointment for many years.

Chief Lawrence currently serves on the California Office of Emergency Services’ Homeland Security Advisory Committee, the Governor’s “Creating Safer Communities Statewide Taskforce,” and the Criminal Justice Advisory Committee with the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC); a non-partisan, non-profit think-tank dedicated to informing and improving California public policy. He also sits on the Board of Directors for the Western States Information Network (WISN), one of six U.S. regions within the national Regional Information Sharing System (RISS), a law enforcement information complex funded by the U.S. Congress.

In 2013, Chief Lawrence was invited to teach at William Jessup University as an Adjunct Professor in the Public Policy Division, where he has taught Introduction to Criminal Justice, as well as Criminology.

Chief Lawrence has received extensive specialized police training throughout his career in a variety of specialized topics, and his formal education includes a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and a Master’s Degree in Leadership. He also attended the FBI National Academy and the POST Command College for law enforcement executives.

Chief Lawrence is a dedicated public servant with a passion for serving the community. He is a firm believer in community policing, one of the many reasons he and his wife, Jennifer, a retired Police Officer, look forward to moving to Costa Mesa to serve in this honorable role and immerse themselves into the fabric of this great community. They both look forward to being closer to their adult children living in Southern California and will enjoy all the diversity Costa Mesa has to offer.

Chief Lawrence will be officially sworn in as the Chief of Police at the Regular City Council Meeting of Sept. 7, 2021.