Julian Harvey was named as Huntington Beach’s Interim Chief of Police by a 5-2 vote of the Huntington Beach City Council. A veteran law enforcement executive with 28-years of policing experience, Mr. Harvey previously served as Deputy Chief of Police for the City of Anaheim, where he oversaw 400 sworn officers who provided public safety protection for a community of 360,000 residents. During the course of his career, Mr. Harvey served in various law enforcement roles, including a stint as Anaheim’s Interim Chief of Police from October 2017 to August 2018, before retiring in November 2019.
During his tenure in Anaheim, Mr. Harvey served in nearly every law enforcement rank, accruing experiences that will serve him well in Huntington Beach. Of note, he was instrumental in the development of a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to reduce the impacts and root causes of homelessness and served as the police department representative in the opening of several homeless shelters. His successful human trafficking grant resulted in a victim-centered approach and the establishment of the O.C. Human Trafficking Task Force. Mr. Harvey also has extensive experience managing public safety during significant special events occurring in Anaheim.
“Huntington Beach is a dynamic community with an iconic history, and its Police Department is second to none,” said Mr. Harvey. “I am humbled and beyond excited to have this opportunity to serve the community and the department during this phase of the City’s history.”
The City engaged a search process two weeks ago, following the announcement that Acting Chief of Police Kelly Rodriguez would be retiring on November 13, 2020. That recruitment process resulted in the identification of several candidates for City Council consideration, and ultimately led to the appointment of Mr. Harvey as the Interim Chief of Police earlier this evening.
“Through the assessment process, Julian demonstrated that he is a dynamic law enforcement professional who places an outsized emphasis on people,” said City Manager Oliver Chi. “He shares our strong commitment to public safety in Huntington Beach, and we are confident that Julian will help our Police Department stabilize as we work through this transitional period.”
Mr. Harvey will serve as the Interim Chief of Police while the City coordinates a formal recruitment process to identify Huntington Beach’s next permanent Chief of Police, a process which is expected to take 4 – 6 months.