The search for a new police chief at UC Davis has been narrowed down to three finalists, with one of them expected to be offered the job by the end of this month, campus officials said.
Joseph Farrow, currently the commissioner of the California Highway Patrol; Christina Lofthouse, a lieutenant with the Sacramento State University Police Department; and Nader Oweis, police chief at UC Santa Cruz — and a former UCD police lieutenant — have made the final cut in the nationwide recruitment effort.
All three candidates visited the UCD campus in late May and early June for interviews and public forums with question-and-answer sessions.
Members of the campus community are encouraged to send comments about the qualifications the university should be looking for in candidates for this position. Emails should be sent to chiefofpolicesearch@ucdavis.edu.
The new hire will replace former UCD Police Chief Matt Carmichael, who left that position last September to become police chief at the University of Oregon. Jennifer Garcia has served as interim chief since his departure.
UCD’s police chief maintains oversight of more than 80 sworn and nonsworn employees between the Davis campus and the Medical Center in Sacramento.
The job description for the position notes that the UCD police chief “leads the Police Department in support of UCD’s academic mission of teaching, research, and public service and patient care. The Chief is responsible for providing leadership to assure the Police Department executes to the highest standards its public safety mission of providing a secure and safe environment through the ‘Community Policing’ model, which enhances the quality of life for the campus and medical center community.”