Costa Mesa names Northern California law enforcement leader new chief of CMPD

Ron Lawrence — a law enforcement officer with 31 years of experience in Northern California — has been selected as the next chief of the Costa Mesa Police Department, city officials announced Thursday.

Currently serving as chief of police for the city of Citrus Heights, Lawrence oversees a department of 157 employees and serves a population of 90,000 residents. He replaces longtime CMPD Chief Bryan Glass, who will retire in September after 26 years with the department.

After Glass announced his plan to leave in April, city officials engaged in a national executive recruitment effort to locate his successor. In Lawrence, they found a candidate with a long work history who’s held numerous assignments, from court bailiff and vice officer to internal affairs investigator and division commander.

“Through a nationwide search, we have identified a strong leader for our police department for years to come,” Mayor John Stephens said in Thursday’s announcement. “Chief Lawrence has distinguished himself among his fellow chiefs and will now serve Costa Mesa well.”

Lawrence was selected by his police chief colleagues to serve as the 54th president of the California Police Chief’s Assn. for the 2019-20 term, during which he represented all 334 municipal chiefs serving in the state of California.

He 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, offered through the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California.

In 2013, Lawrence was invited to teach introduction to criminal justice and criminology as an adjunct professor with the Public Policy degree program of William Jessup University in the city of Rocklin, where he served as police captain and chief from 2006 to 2016.

In addition to a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, Lawrence holds a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Saint Mary’s College of California. He also attended the FBI National Academy and the POST Command College for law enforcement executives.

Costa Mesa City Manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison, who led the city’s search efforts, selected Lawrence from a highly qualified pool of candidates.

“Chief Lawrence will be tasked with leading one of the top-performing and innovative law enforcement agencies in the state,” Farrell Harrison said in the news release. “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, his team and prior chiefs have worked so hard to achieve.”

Glass, whose last day will be Sept. 2, was commended during an Aug. 3 meeting of the Costa Mesa City Council for his long service and commitment to the department. On Thursday, he congratulated the incoming chief.

“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,” Glass said in a statement.

Lawrence said he was looking forward to joining a successful and dedicated team.

“I am excited to lead the Costa Mesa Police Department and build upon the legacy Chief Bryan Glass and so many other chiefs who have shaped the organization’s culture,” he said. “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.”

Lawrence will be officially sworn in as chief of police during the Sept. 7 regular meeting of the Costa Mesa City Council.

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