The Board of Supervisors has confirmed the County Executive’s appointment of Eric Jones as the Deputy County Executive for Public Safety and Justice. Jones’ first day on the job will be Feb. 21.
“Eric Jones is a nationally recognized advocate for principled policing, strengthening relationships between law enforcement and communities and building community trust,” said County Executive Ann Edwards. “His police reform advocacy efforts include extensive collaboration with local community leaders and developing law enforcement reform curriculum. We are fortunate that Eric is joining the County in this important role.”
Jones has almost 30 years of public service experience. He most recently served as Police Chief for the Stockton Police Department since 2012, until his retirement in December 2021. As the Chief of Police, Eric transformed Stockton’s policing practices through innovative strategies and community engagement efforts. In 2015, he worked with the State Attorney General’s Office to develop
Principled Policing Training and help lead the law enforcement industry across the state.
His department was one of six pilot sites participating in the
National Initiative for Building Community Trust and Justice. Of those six pilot sites, Stockton’s work was rated the best of the participants. It was the first ever police community trust initiative in the City of Stockton and led to community trust-building efforts as well as policy and internal cultural change.
Jones created a countywide criminal justice effort, the Stockton Alliance for Equity (SAFE) Coalition for Criminal Justice Leaders, in 2017. The coalition included public safety systems in San Joaquin County: the offices of District Attorney, Public Defender and Probation. The outcomes were improved community trust in those systems and led to internal policy changes and longstanding relationships with community members and justice reform advocates.
He has worked on several Boards and Committees, including as an Advisory Board Member for the Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project for Northeastern University and as an Advisor for the Urban Institute & Office of Justice on Preventing Youth Gang & Gun Violence. He was also a Founding Agency Member for the American Society of Evidence-Based Policing.
Jones holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from California State University, Sacramento, and a Master of Public Administration from National University.
