Senior Associate
Retired Deputy Chief, Los Angeles Police Department
Deputy Chief Baeza served with the Los Angeles Police Department for thirty-two years and spent the last fourteen years in senior management positions. His depth of experience includes a variety of assignments in Patrol Operations, Detective, Specialized Divisions and Administrative Offices. He retired from the Los Angeles Police Department as the Commanding Officer of the Personnel and Training Bureau overseeing Human Resources and training for all sworn and non-sworn employees of the Department.
He led various Operational Commands and the Police Academy. He restructured crime reduction strategies, implemented smart policing concepts and community engagement programs. He was recognized for his creative community policing incentives and was a two-time recipient of the Excellence in Leadership Award for Community Policing. Chief Baeza was invited to participate as a Los Angeles Police Department International Delegate in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. He presented on best practices in community engagement and training development. Deputy Chief Baeza held a variety of leadership positions throughout the Department and has been involved in training police officers at all levels. He served as the Los Angeles Police Academy Director and oversaw the successful re-certification. His experience includes instructing in the Field Training Officer Program, Police Leadership, Supervisor, and the Executive Command Development Courses. He has been an invited speaker on various topics in leadership.
Deputy Chief Baeza led recruitment, hiring and the deployment of all human resources of the organization which encompassed 13,000 employees. He established a Traffic Group to oversee traffic commands and evaluate traffic policies and procedures. Additionally, his responsibilities included oversight of fleet, information technology and Behavioral Science Services. He was a standing member of the categorical use of force board and was integral in the assessment of policy, use of force tactics, procedural justice, and best practices.
Deputy Chief Baeza possesses a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Business and Management and a Master of Arts in Organizational Management from Azusa Pacific University. He is also a graduate of the West Point Leadership Program, Senior Management Institute for Policing and the University of Southern California, Sol Price School of Public Policy, Executive Leadership Program.