We are proud to say that we managed the recruitment that has brought the City of Los Alamitos its new police chief, Michael Claborn. Helping to ensure the safety of residents by working to find a chief that fits the community is a gratifying labor of love for us!
This week, the City announced Claborn’s appointment, which became official at the Jan. 18 City Council meeting.
City Manager Chet Simmons recommended Claborn for the position after a six-month national search, recognizing that “The environment facing law enforcement agencies across the nation today is one of serious challenges, but also great opportunities. In order for departments to be successful, leaders need to be engaged and work collaboratively with the communities that they serve. Throughout the entire recruitment and selection process, Chief Claborn demonstrated not only a keen ability to effectively lead this department, but also an engrained calling to service and a steadfast desire to continue to build upon the trust that exists between our residents and their police department.”
Claborn comes to Los Alamitos from the Santa Ana PD, where he has served since 2000, and is currently the Criminal Investigations Division Commander. During the course of his career, Chief Claborn has been instrumental in implementing the first full-time therapeutic canine program in Orange County. Utilizing grant funding, he was able to modernize an Emergency Operations Center, making it one of the most technologically innovative in the County. He has also authored multiple publications bringing awareness to the topic of officer wellness. He has also devoted years of service to community engagement, with a focus on youth programs.
“It is a great honor to be appointed as the Chief of Police for the City of Los Alamitos” Claborn said. “As a resident of this wonderful city, I will work diligently to uphold the highest level of public safety. I look forward to working in partnership with the men and women of this organization, the residents of this City, and the business community to establish a foundation of collaboration, making Los Alamitos the preeminent place to live, work and shop.”
Claborn lives in Los Alamitos, and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Criminal Justice from California State University Long Beach. He also serves as a board member with several service and law enforcement organizations throughout the County.
“Having started my career in Santa Ana, the city that pioneered community policing nearly five decades ago, it’s extremely gratifying to place someone of Chief Claborn’s caliber. His leadership values and commitment to quality community policing are a great match for Los Alamitos,” said TB&Co. founder Teri Black.
Mayor Shelley Hasselbrink also had enthusiastic praise for the new Chief, saying “Spend any amount of time with Chief Claborn and you will be instantly struck by his intelligence and his passion for this community. We are confident that his experience and dedication to the profession of law enforcement will be immensely beneficial to the Los Alamitos Police Department and the City as a whole.”
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