Jorge Cisneros named new chief of UCI Police Department

Irvine, Calif., Sept. 8, 2015 – The University of California, Irvine announced today the appointment of Jorge Cisneros as chief of the UCI Police Department, effective immediately. Cisneros comes to UCI from the city of Huntington Park, where he was chief of police for five years and acting city manager for 10 months.

The new chief will lead a force of 32 sworn officers, 17 community service officers and 16 staff members serving as many as 50,000 faculty, staff, students and University Hills residents. Cisneros will oversee UCIPD operations including the patrol and investigation divisions, emergency management, and administration on campus and at UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange. He will also work closely with neighboring cities and law enforcement agencies throughout the state.

“An effective campus police force embodies foundational values of tolerance, nonviolence and mutual respect, and we are pleased that Chief Cisneros’ leadership reflects these essential values,” said Wendell Brase, UCI’s vice chancellor for administrative and business services.

Cisneros has 25 years of experience in law enforcement. He earned a master’s degree in criminal justice at Chapman University in 2002 while working for the Long Beach Police Department. As a patrol lieutenant there, he supervised 51 officers and set up an award-winning community policing program that facilitated partnerships with residents and other stakeholders to reduce crime.

He continued to serve in Long Beach as a lieutenant in the counter-terrorism division, as commander of the detective division – where he managed a $13.8 million budget – and as chief of staff to the LBPD chief. Cisneros moved to Huntington Park as chief of police in 2010 and was acting city manager in addition to his law enforcement role for almost a year.

“I am humbled by the appointment and I look forward to being part of the Anteater family, working with the men and women of the UCI Police Department and collaborating with faculty, staff and students,” Cisneros said. “I support the campus’s community policing philosophy, which helps establish a safe environment for the university’s mission of teaching, learning, researching and contributing to local, state, national and global needs.

“I bring my knowledge, skills and abilities to the position, along with an open mind, an eagerness to listen, learn, and share ideas, and a willingness to make myself present and accessible to all segments of the UCI community.”

Cisneros recently concluded a term as president of the Los Angeles County Police Chiefs’ Association. He is vice president of the Los Angeles chapter of the Hispanic American Police Command Officers Association, and he sits on the Community Hospital of Huntington Park board. A resident of Santa Ana, he’s also immediate past president of the dance team boosters at Tustin’s Foothill High School. In addition to his criminology degree, he has a bachelor’s degree in architecture from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

About the University of California, Irvine: Currently celebrating its 50^th anniversary, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 30,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $4.8 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit www.uci.edu.

Media access: Radio programs/stations may, for a fee, use an on-campus ISDN line to interview UC Irvine faculty and experts, subject to availability and university approval. For more UC Irvine news, visit wp.communications.uci.edu. Additional resources for journalists may be found at communications.uci.edu/for-journalists.