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Santa Barbara Police Department
215 East Figueroa Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101

(805) 897-2300 (805) 897-2434 Fax
In case of emergency, call 9-1-1   
Non-Emergency Dispatch, 805-882-8900

Title

Chief of Police & Community Accountability Staff

Cuerpo

Police Chief Kelly Gordon

Chief Kelly Gordon has 30 years of law enforcement experience and has proudly served as the Chief of Police of the Santa Barbara Police Department since she was sworn in on September 19, 2022. Her leadership is grounded in a strong commitment to community-focused policing, wellness, innovation, and professional development.
 
Prior to joining Santa Barbara, Chief Gordon served as the Chief of Police for the Monterey Park Police Department, overseeing a department of approximately 150 personnel, including 78 sworn officers, and managing a $23 million budget. During her tenure, she modernized recruitment and hiring practices to reflect the evolving needs of policing, emphasizing diversity, equity, and retention through comprehensive selection and training programs. She also launched the Neighborhood Engagement Team, a multidisciplinary co-response model designed to better serve individuals experiencing homelessness and mental health crises.
 
Chief Gordon is a strong advocate for officer wellness and resiliency, recognizing that the health and well-being of personnel are essential to effective policing and long-term career sustainability. She has championed wellness initiatives that support mental health, peer support, and work-life balance across all sworn and professional staff.
 
She began her law enforcement career with the Los Angeles Police Department in 1996, later joining the Montebello Police Department in 2000, where she rose through the ranks to Lieutenant. In 2017, she was hired as a Captain by the Monterey Park Police Department, where she continued to lead in both operational and administrative roles before being appointed Chief.
 
In addition to her law enforcement leadership, Chief Gordon served for over 20 years with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Urban Search and Rescue Team and the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation. As a Canine Disaster Search Specialist, she deployed to major national disasters including the World Trade Center after 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Ike, and Hurricane Rita.
Chief Gordon holds a bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly Pomona and a master's degree in leadership from Saint Mary’s College. She is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute.
 
She has been a California Peace Officer Standards and Training Commissioner for five years. The Commission establishes standards, regulations, gives direction to POST staff, and makes peace officer decertification decisions.  
 
Her leadership philosophy centers on transparency, accountability, wellness, and building trust through meaningful community partnerships and forward-thinking public safety strategies.
 
Chief Kelly Gordon
Police Chief Kelly Gordon

Chief’s Staff

The Office of the Chief of Police has both sworn and professional staff (non-sworn) and is composed of two sections: Chief's Staff and Community Accountability Staff.

The Chief's Staff develop and review policy and procedures providing direction for the maximization of the total law enforcement effort.

Chief of Police: Leads the Department operating under the philosophy of Community Oriented Policing.

Chief's Executive Assistant: Provides staff support and is Secretary to the Fire & Police Commission.

Command Staff: Two Assistant Chiefs command the Field Operations Division and Investigative & Internal Operations Division. 

Community Accountability: Provides support to the Santa Barbara community by forming strong relationships with professional organizations, businesses, community members, and the Fire and Police Commission.  

Public Information Officer: The official spokesperson for the Department handles and coordinates all media involvement, press conferences, and internal / external communication.

Professional Standards: Conducts personnel complaint investigations, internal audits, and assists in the defense of police civil litigation cases.

Support Services

Business Office provides the department with budgetary, payroll, purchasing, and personnel functions.

Parking Section staff processes parking citation payments and vehicle releases at the records counter.