Top 14 Police chief Jobs in California

Chief of Police
Kern Community College District —Bakersfield, CA
- $141,258.56 - $199,594.65 a year
- Online Application
- CPR Certification
- 5 years
- Writing skills
- Health insurance
Police Chief
City of La Palma, CA —La Palma, CA
- $170,325.82 - $228,252.88 a year
- Weekends as needed
- Clean driving record
- Customer service
- Writing skills
- Wellness program
- Paid holidays
Police Chief
City of La Palma —La Palma, CA
- $170,325.82 - $228,252.88 a year
- Weekends as needed
- Customer service
- Ability to lift 50 pounds
- Senior level
ASSISTANT POLICE CHIEF (REISSUE)
City of Torrance —Torrance, CA
- $17,120 - $28,808 a month
- Full-time
- Pass drug screening
- Administrative experience
- Supervising experience
Police Captain
City of Livermore, CA —Livermore, CA
- $21,290.41 - $26,613.02 a month
- Weekends as needed
- 7 years
- Word processing
- Writing skills
- Health savings account
- AD&D insurance
10d
CHIEF OF POLICE
ROHNERVILLE RANCHERIA —Loleta, CA
- $91,395.20 - $130,087.87 a year
- Extended hours
- CPR Certification
- Management
- Computer literacy
Chief of Police - Interim
City of Arvin —Arvin, CA
- $49.15 - $68.06 an hour
- Full-time
- Senior level
- Negotiation
Chief Technology & Innovation Officer (0953) - San Francisco Police Department
City and County of San Francisco —San Francisco, CA
- $197,592.37 - $289,851.18 a year
- Overtime
- Computer Science
- Office
- Bachelor's degree
- Continuing education credits
Police Captain
City of Coronado, CA —Orange, CA
- $169,413.14 - $227,030.18 a year
- Full-time
- Clean driving record
- Writing skills
- Pass drug screening
- AD&D insurance
- Loan repayment program
Police Captain
City of Coronado, California —Orange, CA
- $13,031.78 - $17,463.86 a month
- Full-time
- Writing skills
- Research
- Project management
- AD&D insurance
- Loan repayment program
Public Safety Director
City of Malibu —Malibu, CA
- $199,767 - $260,651 a year
- Online Application
- Clean driving record
- 8 years
- Driver's License
- Paid holidays
- Disability insurance
8d
Police Commissioner (Volunteer)
City of Oakland —Oakland, CA
- Part-time
- Senior level
Police Commissioner (Volunteer)
City of Oakland, CA —Oakland, CA
- Part-time
- 18 years or older
- Senior level
- Commuter assistance
- Health insurance
Public Safety Director
Malibu, City of (CA) —Malibu, CA
- $199,767 - $260,651 a year
- Online Application
- Senior level
- Leadership
8d

More jobs to discover

Find similar jobs that you might be interested in.

Chief of Police
Kern Community College District —Bakersfield, CA
A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in administration of justice, criminology, criminal justice, police science, law enforcement,…
$141,258.56 - $199,594.65 a year
Police Chief
City of La Palma, CA —La Palma, CA
Equivalent to a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university with major work in police science, public or business administration or a related…
$170,325.82 - $228,252.88 a year

Show more similar jobs

Explore jobs in cities nearby

Check out jobs in cities near your current location, Columbus

Deputy Chief of Police
City of Springfield, Ohio —Springfield, OH
Ability to bend, stoop, reach and maintain mobility necessary to navigate office and field environments. Assists with budget development, fiscal management, and…
$114,000 - $146,000 a year
13d
Director of Public Safety
Ohio Wesleyan University —Delaware, OH
Current Ohio driver's license with a satisfactory driving record. Communicate public safety concerns to the campus community and develop programs to reduce risk…
Quick Apply

I want to receive the latest job alert for police chief in california

By signing in to your account, you agree to SimplyHired's Terms of Service and consent to our Cookie and Privacy Policy.

Chief of Police

Kern Community College District -
Bakersfield, CA

Apply Now

Job Details

Permanent | Full-time
$141,258.56 - $199,594.65 a year

Benefits

Health insurance

Qualifications

CPR Certification
National Incident Management System Introduction (NIMS-700)
Incident management
Driver's License
Cultural competency
First Aid Certification
Working with students from diverse cultural backgrounds
Peace Officer Certification
Community relationship building
General management
State-specific police officer certification
Stakeholder relationship building

Full Job Description

Salary

$141,258.56 - $199,594.65 Annually

Location

Bakersfield College - Panorama Campus, CA

Job Type

Management - Classified Administrator

Job Number

FY25-2600131

College

Bakersfield College

Department

College Safety

Opening Date

10/03/2025

Closing Date

Continuous

Assured Consideration Date

06/01/2026

Internal Posting Information

None

Below is our job description for this position. Please also review the Important Instructions & Additional Information section below, which contains valuable information about our application process.

Basic Function

Under general direction of the Vice President for Finance and Administration, the Chief of Police plans, directs, manages, and oversees the activities and operations of the Bakersfield College Police and College Safety Department at each campus location, including supervision of including sworn and non-sworn personnel, communications dispatch, parking program services, and emergency preparedness programs. The Chief provides leadership in emergency management, including planning, training, exercise, and regulatory compliance. The Chief partners and coordinates with the Kern Community College District Office on policies, procedures, and activities that intersect with campus safety, emergency management, and other areas of responsibility. In addition, the Chief serves as the primary College contact for emergency management, homeland security, and stakeholder engagement through outreach, training and education.

Representative Duties

Provides Leadership and direction to the Bakersfield College Police and College Safety Department.
Advises college administrators on police and security matters.
Directs and oversees the College’s emergency preparedness to ensure compliance with Incident Command Systems (ICS), National Incident Management Systems (NIMS), and Standardized Emergency Management Systems (SEMS).
As necessary, responds to major incidents reported to the Police Department and ensures that the Incident Commander is following Incident Command System/Standardized Emergency Management System (ICS/SEMS) protocol; assumes role as Incident Commander or other roles as needed for the situation and works closely with the District assigned emergency preparedness coordinator; and consults with representatives of law enforcement, safety and disaster preparedness to improve interagency cooperation.
Develops department rules and regulations that are consistent with local, state and federal legal mandates for community college police departments.
Develops and implements a training program for staff in a variety of areas, including but not limited to jurisdiction, reporting procedures, use of force, weapons, laws of arrest and radio procedures.
Lead departmental strategic planning, policy development, and continuous quality improvement.
Promote transparency, accountability, and effective resource stewardship.
Prepares and administers the police department and college safety department budget, including staffing, equipment, and training resources; prepares recommendations and justifications regarding budget requests; authorizes expenditures according to District policies.
Direct all aspects of campus law enforcement and public safety, including patrol, investigations, crime prevention, traffic and parking enforcement, and event security.
Oversees the development and implementation of strategic and work planning activities; develops programs, goals, and objectives to support the mission of the department and the College.
Coordinate drills and exercises with campus stakeholders and mutual aid partners.
Foster a campus culture of trust, fairness, and collaboration through community policing strategies.
Attend campus events and participate in shared governance and student life activities to strengthen campus-community relationships.
Establish strong partnerships with local law enforcement, fire, and emergency service providers.
Ensure professional development and ongoing training in de-escalation, bias-awareness, cultural competency, and conflict resolution.
Uphold professional standards consistent with POST, the Peace Officer’s Bill of Rights, and collective bargaining agreements.
Provides leadership and demonstrates by example a community-policing model for Bakersfield College, including participatory governance, and other problem-solving approaches to law enforcement within the College.
Upholds the College’s campus policing philosophy. Ensures that campus police activities are in line with the peace officer code of ethics.
Directs emergency response operations for major and minor incidents occurring within the jurisdiction of Campus Police.
Oversees the development and presentation of training and informational programs for students, faculty, and staff in the areas of emergency preparedness, and best practices for campus safety and security.
Serves as the responsible agent of the College, in coordination with District-wide efforts, to ensure the collection, analysis, and timely submission of mandated crime reporting to the public, in compliance with applicable local, state, and/or federal regulations, Clery Act, State, Title IX requirements and Federal Uniform Crime Reporting.
Directs the preparation, maintenance, and retention of files and records related to Campus Police functions and activities; maintains records of criminal activity affecting the College.
Recommends improvement in campus police and security services and related policies and regulations.
Recruit, train, evaluate, counsel, discipline and supervise sworn and non-sworn staff in compliance with POST standards and college and District policies, including ensuring that police personnel meet Post requirements. .
Instructs campus police and security personnel in pertinent District policies and appropriate community policing procedures; revises and maintains training manual on procedures and methods for protecting personnel, students, and facilities of the college campus.
Coordinates and supervises the scheduling and assignment of College Police and College Safety personnel and facilities
Oversees the recruitment and training for the Student Worker Police Cadets Program.
Supervises and coordinates criminal investigations, including the interrogation of subjects, control, and appearance at hearings and trials.
Supervises and may participate in patrol, enforcement, and providing security for events and gatherings.
Reviews reports submitted by police and security personnel for accuracy, completeness, and appropriateness of action taken.
Prepares, submits, and presents special statistical and narrative reports to the Board of Trustees, President/Chancellor, and senior management staff as required.
Works effectively with people at all levels of the organization including management, faculty, staff, and students; and is sensitive to and understands the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability and ethnic backgrounds of community college students.
Performs other related duties as assigned and/or requested by senior administration.

Minimum Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in administration of justice, criminology, criminal justice, police science, law enforcement, public administration or related field or any equivalent combination of education and experience.
Five (5) years recent public law enforcement and investigative experience, including two (2) years in a supervisory capacity at or above the level of police sergeant.
Possession of a certificate signifying completion of a course of training approved by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (California Penal Code, Section 832) prior to employment.
California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, and Supervisory Certificates.
Possession of valid Standard First Aid and CPR certificates.
Sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse cultural, socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds of college students and individuals with disabilities.

Licenses, Certificates, and other Requirements:

Incident Command Certification in ICS 100, 200, 300, 400, and IS 700 and 800, or ability to obtain certification within one year of hire.
Valid California Driver’s License
Satisfactory completion of pre-employment physical assessment
Satisfactory completion of pre-employment drug testing
Must maintain Post Annual Training Requirements.

Preferred Qualifications:

Master’s degree in a related field from an accredited college or university
CA POST Management Certificate
Documented experience in Emergency Management/Preparedness and Crisis Management
Five (5) years of experience at a management level in a similar community college setting

Knowledge & Abilities

Knowledge of:

Principles of Administration of Justice and organization. Clery Act reporting standards and procedures.
District organization, policies, and procedures.
Federal, State, and municipal laws and statutes.
Principles of budget planning and administration.
California Education Code.
Law enforcement procedures, police methodology, and preventive security measures within a higher education environment.
Applicable federal, state, city, and county laws, rules, and regulations, including laws of search, seizure, and arrest, legal rights of citizens, court procedures, and rules of evidence.
Proper use and care of firearms.
Standardized Emergency Management Systems (ICS [Incident Command System], NIMS, SEMS).
Principles and practices of community policing, emergency management, and organizational leadership.
Principles, practices, and techniques for criminal and civil investigations, internal affairs investigations, police background investigations, and administrative investigations.
Training and certification requirements for law enforcement officers and support staff in compliance with State and Federal statutes.
Administration of Public Safety Officer’s Bill of Rights Crowd control and vehicle control procedures.
Recent court decisions affecting police work.
Supervisory procedures and practices, including effective recruitment and selection; assigning and delegating work, evaluating performance, motivating employees, training and developing staff, handling grievances and imposing corrective and/or disciplinary action.
Participatory governance, committee leadership, and other community college governance processes.

Abilities:

Strong interpersonal, communication, and consensus-building skills to work effectively with diverse stakeholders.
Plan, organize, direct, and manage on a District level the operations of a campus police department, including hiring, evaluating, and disciplining
employees.
Ability to analyze complex problems and adopt effective courses of action under pressure. Demonstrate impeccable integrity, good judgment, and proven expert decision-making ability.
Prepare clear, concise, and comprehensive verbal and statistical reports, manuals, and directives.
Train, supervise, and evaluate assigned staff according to P.O.S.T. mandates, College and District policies, accepted law enforcement methods, and principles of community policing. Analyze, interpret, and enforce federal/state/local laws, rules, and regulations. Analyze situations accurately and adopt an effective course of action.

Important Instructions & Additional Information

Complete applications received by the "assured consideration date" above are guaranteed to be reviewed by Human Resources. If you apply after this date, there is no guarantee that your application will be reviewed. However, we still recommend that you apply because recruitments remain open until filled. The District and/or College reserves the right to extend time limits and/or repost or restart recruitments at any point.

Completed applications must include the following.

Completed online application for employment
Current resume
Letter of interest (cover letter)
List of 5 (five) professional references (entered in online application)
Copy of legible transcripts (if required for the position)

It is your responsibility to redact or remove any personally identifiable information from all documents prior to uploading, including Social Security numbers, date of birth, photos, etc.

Equivalency for Minimum Qualifications

Applicants for faculty and educational administrator positions in California Community Colleges are required to meet certain minimum qualifications as provided by the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office and detailed in the Minimum Qualifications for Faculty and Administrators in California Community Colleges handbook. If you do not meet these minimum qualifications, you may still be eligible by completing the KernCCD Application for Equivalence process. Please see our Faculty Equivalency Process website for more information.

International or Foreign Degrees

Applicants with international or foreign degrees from colleges or universities outside of the United States must have their coursework evaluated by a professional association that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute, INC. (ACEI). A copy of the evaluation must be submitted with your online application.

Accommodations

Applicants who require reasonable accommodation to participate in the selection process should contact Human Resources to make the necessary arrangements. (For more information, see our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Equal Employment Opportunities website.)

Discrimination Free Work Environment

Discrimination based on race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation of any person, military and veteran status, or the perception that a person has one or more of these characteristics is illegal and violates Kern Community College District policy.

The Kern CCD Equal Employment Opportunity Plan guides the development, implementation, and monitoring of the District's efforts to foster equal employment opportunities and workplace diversity.

See our Discrimination-Free Work Environment webpage for more information.

Work Authorization

Kern Community College District does not provide sponsorship for authorization to work in the United States. Work authorization should be established at the time of application submission.

E-Verify

The Kern Community College District participates in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s E-Verify program to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, please visit e-verify.gov.

Helpful Links

Kern Community College District

Salary Schedules

Job Descriptions

Benefits

Faculty Minimum Qualifications/Equivalency Process

Full-time permanent employees (20+ hours per month) are eligible for health benefits:

Health
Dental
Vision
Life Insurance
Long-term Disability

In addition to the above benefits, the District also offers a robust voluntary benefits selection:

Flex 125
Additional products and services through American Fidelity
Supplemental Voluntary Life Insurance
Tax Shelter Annuities

The District participates in CalPERS Retirement System and Social Security benefits for Classified and Management employees. Employees covered under the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS), are vested 100% after five years of full-time service credit.

The District participates in the State Teacher's Retirement System (STRS) for faculty. Employees covered under the State Teacher's Retirement System (STRS), are vested 100% after five years of full-time service credit.

All coverages begin on the first of the following month after the hire date.

The following classifications are eligible for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) health benefits at the employee expense offered through SISC:

Permanent Employees (19 hours or less)
Adjuncts
Temporary Hourly
Professional Experts

For additional information, please visit our Kern Community College District Benefits webpage.

Apply Now

Refine Your Search

police chief jobs in california

Chief of Police

Police Chief

Police Chief

ASSISTANT POLICE CHIEF (REISSUE)

Police Captain

CHIEF OF POLICE

Chief of Police - Interim

Chief Technology & Innovation Officer (0953) - San Francisco Police Department

Police Captain

Police Captain

Public Safety Director

Police Commissioner (Volunteer)

Police Commissioner (Volunteer)

Public Safety Director

More jobs to discover

Explore jobs in cities nearby

I want to receive the latest job alert for police chief in california

Explore jobs in more locations

Basic Function

Representative Duties

Minimum Qualifications

Knowledge & Abilities

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected