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Denton Carlson, a captain and longtime public spokesperson with the San Ramon Police Department, is set to be sworn in as the department’s next chief of police on Tuesday following the retirement of his predecessor.
Craig Stevens, who announced his retirement as chief of police in March, has been serving in the position on an interim basis since then, as city officials have gone through the months-long process of selecting his successor, which included a nationwide search.
“I am excited to serve as the San Ramon Police Department’s next chief of police,” Carlson said. “The city of San Ramon is a fantastic place to live, work, and play. Knowing I will have the privilege to work side-by-side with the incredible police officers of this agency as we strive to protect and serve all members of the San Ramon community to the best of our ability is humbling. I look forward to everything we will accomplish as a police department and a community.”
Carlson has been with SRPD since its founding in 2007, and previously worked in the San Ramon area when the city was under contract with the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office. Since 2015, he has been at the head of the department’s community outreach efforts, including the establishment of a Community Outreach and Crime Prevention Division at the department.
“Denton has been serving this community for 20 years, and has helped shape several key aspects of the department,” Mayor David Hudson said. “We are fortunate to have him as our next chief of police.”
Carlson was promoted to captain in 2017, and has served as director of the city’s office of emergency management since 2015. He holds a masters degree in emergency services administration from California State University, Long Beach, and received the Dorothy Harris Award for Outstanding Academic Excellence during his studies at the the California Peace Officer Standards and Training Command College.
Carlson got his start in law enforcement as a deputy with the sheriff’s office in 1998, before being contracted to San Ramon in 2002. His titles since joining SRPD have included detective, corporal, sergeant and lieutenant. He has also served as the Citizens Academy coordinator, training officer for law enforcement academy recruits, and supervisor of the department’s professional standards and training.
His career with SRPD has also seen him serve as the department’s public information officer and liaison with the San Ramon Valley Unified School District, as well as commander of the multi-agency Central County SWAT Team. The Central County SWAT team began as a partnership between SRPD and the Walnut Creek and Martinez police departments in 2013, with the Pleasant Hill and BART police departments joining in 2015.
The changing of the guard at the top of SRPD will make Carlson the department’s fifth chief, since it was founded.
Stevens’ retirement comes after roughly three years on the job, which he was selected for in 2019 after serving in the role on an interim basis following the departure of his predecessor, Dan Pratt, who retired in 2018. Pratt was preceded by current City Manager Joe Gorton, who was the city’s police chief from 2013 to 2017, following the retirement of the department’s inaugural chief Scott Holder.
The San Ramon City Council is set to honor Stevens’ tenure and swear in Carlson at their next regular meeting on Tuesday (July 26).
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