New UCLA Police Chief

Craig Valenzuela appointed UCLA chief of police

The Bruin alum returns to campus after nearly three decades with the LAPD

UCLA Newsroom

July 28, 2025

Craig Valenzuela, a UCLA alumnus and veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department with broad experience in community-focused law enforcement leadership, has been selected as the new chief of the university’s police department, Associate Vice Chancellor for Campus and Community Safety Steve Lurie announced today. 

Valenzuela will begin his new role on Sept. 1.

“I am pleased to welcome Chief Valenzuela back to UCLA to serve in this critical role,” Chancellor Julio Frenk said. “The safety of our UCLA community is a top priority, and Chief Valenzuela’s accomplishments during over two decades of law enforcement leadership make him an ideal leader for UCLA’s police department. As our new Office of Campus and Community Safety continues to grow and as UCLA prepares to host the world’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes in 2028, I know Chief Valenzuela will elevate safety in a way that is inclusive and grounded in the tenets of 21st-century policing.”

Valenzuela, who grew up in Harbor City in the South Bay, joined the LAPD in 1996 after earning a bachelor’s degree in political science from UCLA. Over the course of his career, he has served in a variety of leadership roles with the department, including as commanding officer of the North Hollywood Patrol Division and the elite Metropolitan Division. As a commander, he led and mentored commanding officers in the San Fernando Valley, South Los Angeles and with the department’s traffic group.

Valenzuela is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, widely regarded as the world’s top law enforcement executive training program; the Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute, run by the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training; and the LAPD’s Command Development Program. He also holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Southern California. 

“I am thrilled to welcome Chief Valenzuela back to UCLA,” Lurie said. “He participated in a nationwide search, competing among exemplary leaders from across the country. Chancellor Frenk has stated that UCLA’s safety and security is his ‘meta-priority.’ As the administrator charged with carrying out that mission, I am humbled, honored and grateful to have Chief Valenzuela join our team.” 

The new chief was selected by a committee that included faculty, administrators, students and staff from UCLA and experienced law enforcement executives. He will take over from UCLA’s Interim Chief Scott Scheffler, who has headed the department since December 2024.

“The opportunity to come home to UCLA, to work at this police department with these dedicated professionals, is the thrill of a lifetime,” Valenzuela said. “I cannot wait to partner with our students, faculty and staff in keeping UCLA safe.”

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Source: https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/craig-valenzuela-appointed-ucla-chief-of-police.