Assistant Sheriff Chase is a 32 year veteran of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. He assumed collateral responsibility for overseeing most day to day custody operations in June of 2019, before being formally appointed by the Sheriff to his current position in December of 2019.  

Los Angeles County is spread out over 4,700 square miles, with more than 10 million residents. In addition to providing police services to more than 3 million of these residents, the Sheriff’s Department has responsibility for maintaining the county’s custody operations, which currently consist of a reception center, 7 separate custody facilities, and independent medical services including clinics, urgent care, skilled nursing and hospital wards. Capacities at each facility range from 1,500 to more than 4,000, with housing for both pre-sentenced and sentenced individuals. Realignment legislation passed by the state in 2011 also shifted incarceration and post release supervision responsibilities to the counties for certain felony convictions which would have previously resulted in state prison sentences, some of which can be for  15 or more years.  

Chase began his career in 1988 working at the original Downtown Los Angeles Hall of Justice Jail, the  temporary home of a number of notorious individuals from L.A.’s storied past. After completing assignments in custody operations at various facilities, Chase worked field assignments in the  southeast, south central, Watts and Compton areas of the county, as well as a stint as a plainclothes  narcotics detective. He also worked for 14 years as a member of the Department’s Special  Enforcement Bureau, the home of the Sheriff’s full-time SWAT unit, as a team member, team  operations leader, and team commander. While overseeing the Department’s tactical canines, he  worked with the Police Assessment Resource Center (PARC) to reform deployment policies, resulting  in more than a 40% reduction in injuries to suspects during apprehensions. His years of work  experience in a myriad of diverse communities gave him a deep, personal perspective on the daily  challenges and struggles so many go through in their lives, which can often lead them to becoming justice involved.  

In response to wide ranging calls from community advocates for reform in the county’s jails in 2012,  and with the creation of a Citizens’ Commission on Jail Violence, Chase was asked to return to custody operations in order to steer an initial overhaul of all use of force policies, and to develop and implement  additional executive review and accountability mechanisms. Chase later went on to command a unit  tasked with overseeing the Department’s compliance with several ensuing federal court settlement  agreements focused on ensuring more adequate mental health treatment, and humane and  constitutional conditions of confinement. More recently, like much of the nation, the county has begun to prioritize community based alternatives to incarceration whenever possible.  

Chase holds a degree in economics from the College of William and Mary, with a minor focus on government and philosophy. As a sworn peace officer, he also holds California Advanced, Supervisory  and Management POST Certificates. Throughout the course of his career, he has been the recipient of  numerous commendations, including a Meritorious Service Award for his leadership at SEB, and a  Distinguished Service Award for his work on the development and implementation of significant reforms in custody operations.