John Thomas
Assistant Chief

UPC Patrol Operations, Investigations, Communications, and Explorers

Chief John Thomas is a native of Los Angeles where he grew up within the USC campus community.  He is a 21-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department where he retired at the rank of Lieutenant II. Prior to his appointment to the USC Department of Public Safety, he was the Deputy Chief of Public Safety & Emergency Management at the University of the District of Columbia in Washington D.C.  His varied assignments within LAPD included undercover narcotics, gangs, patrol, dignitary protection and various administrative positions including Adjutant to current LAPD Chief of Police William Bratton.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science/Liberal Arts and has completed graduate course work in Criminal Justice from the University of Virginia.  He is also a graduate of the West Point Leadership Program, the Los Angeles Police Department Command Development Program and the 218th Session of the FBI National Academy.

A published freelance writer, Chief Thomas has written for and been featured in several local and national news, magazine publications and books, including contribution credits for both “Scene of the Crime-Photographs from the LAPD Archives” (Abrams Publishing Inc. 2004) and “Images of America-The Los Angeles Police Department”(Arcadia Publishing Co. 2005).  He is recognized as one of the foremost authorities on the history of the Los Angeles Police Department and is on the Board of Directors for the Los Angeles Police Historical Society.  

In addition to serving the students, faculty and staff here at USC, Chief Thomas continues to regularly serve the City of Los Angeles as an active LAPD Reserve Officer working various patrol and other assignments throughout the city.