Huerta new police chief

David Huerta

By Tom Uribes
University Communications

David Huerta, a 31-year veteran of law enforcement entirely with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department, is the new chief of police at Fresno State, his alma mater.

The 1992 Fresno State graduate, who earned a master's in criminology here, was selected from a field of four candidates in a national search this spring. He began his duties Aug. 2 and heads a 20-staff University Police Department that includes 12 sworn officers.

CSU police departments are state law enforcement agencies that hold the same jurisdiction, within a one-mile radius of the campus, as municipal law enforcement agencies, according to state education and penal codes.

Huerta, 53, replaces Interim Chief Michael Dunlap, who was appointed following the retirement of Chief Lynn Button in 2002.

“David Huerta is an excellent addition to the Fresno State management team,” said Vice President for Administration Cynthia Teniente-Matson. “He brings a solid track record of success and accomplishments in the local law enforcement community. David will provide leadership to the university community which values maintaining a safe environment on a growing and diverse campus.”

Huerta said he plans to be a coalition builder who will seek input from all sources as well as use his experience with law enforcement locally and beyond for Fresno State projects.

“As the chief of police, I will diligently work with the diverse multi-ethnic campus communities and provide leadership to develop trusting relationships,” said Huerta, who becomes Fresno State’s eighth- chief of police since the department changed from a security force to a full-fledged law enforcement agency in 1963.

He brings extensive law enforcement experience in a career that includes 23-plus years with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team.

Before his Fresno State degrees, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in organizational behavior at the University of San Francisco in 1989.

He began his career in 1973 as Fresno County Sheriff deputy and worked his way up the ranks including sergeant, agriculture task force commander, SWAT commander, area commander, assistant bureau commander and lieutenant before retiring recently.

In his assistant bureau commander post for the Central Field Services Bureau, he oversaw investigations of homicides, officer-involved shootings, violent crimes, sexual assaults, elder abuse and computer crimes as well as the technical services (CSI) and the property and evidence units.

As SWAT commander, Huerta was the department’s primary author of multi-agency agreement for response to school violence, serving as liaison for school violence training to law enforcement and schools.

While serving as the agriculture task force commander, he assisted in the development of the first AG Task Force including a multi-agency agreement and protocols for eight counties.

In spring 2003, he joined the Fresno State Criminology Department faculty as a part-time professor. He has also taught in the Clovis Unified School District’s Regional Occupation Program (ROP) and is a part-time instructor of several criminology courses for National University, where he helped establish degree programs for courses held at the sheriff’s department.

Among his honors and awards from the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department are the Medal of Merit for Operation GOLDSTAR in 1999 and the Distinguished Service Medal in 1998 for his SWAT service. In 1998, he was honored by the American Legion as its Officer of the Year.

Professional organizations include the Fresno State Alumni Association, University of San Francisco Alumni, National Tactical Officers Association, International Association of Property and Evidence, California Peace Officers Association, California Peace Officers Association, California Narcotics Officers Association, Fresno Deputy Sheriff’s Association and the Fresno Sheriff’s Sergeants Association.

His community involvement over the years includes the Specific Plan Advisory Committee (SPAC) for the City of Clovis, Clovis Elementary SART committee, Clovis Babe Ruth, Clovis Junior Soccer League and the California Bowl Media Committee.

He has earned Peace Officers Standard Training certificates in Executive Management, Leadership Symposium, Management Training Course and Supervisors Leadership Institute, Class 19.