The Martinez Police Department announced Thursday the hiring of Beth Johnson as their next Police Captain. Johnson comes from the Walnut Creek Police Department where she is currently a Lieutenant.
The hiring came after the process included three interview panels, a professional panel with six local police chiefs and a community and stakeholder panel along with an internal management panel. The final interview was conducted with the City Manager and Chief of Police.
Her start date is October 2, 2019.
According to the Martinez Police Department, Johnson grew up in Lafayette and began her career as Community Services Officer and Dispatcher with the Arcata Police Department while attending Humboldt State University. She also served as a volunteer Firefighter/EMT for the Arcata Volunteer Fire Department.
Johnson began her career in policing in 1999 when she was hired by the Walnut Creek Police Department. She has served as a patrol officer, a detective specializing in investigating crimes against children, a member of the Community Policing Team, and a Field Training Officer. She promoted through the ranks where she served as a sergeant in patrol then in the Investigations Bureau.
Over the years, Beth has served in a number of collateral assignments including as a Firearms Instructor, a Response to Active Shooter Instructor, a First Aid & CPR Instructor, a DARE/Character Counts Officer, and a member of the CSI team. She was a Drill Instructor and taught a variety of learning domains and firearms at the Napa Valley Criminal Justice Training Center Basic Police Academy for several years. In 2016, Beth promoted to Lieutenant where she is currently serving as a Patrol Watch Commander, the Sector 2 Area Commander, and the Field Training Program Manager.
Johnson has a Master’s in Business Administration with a concentration in Public Administration from Columbia Southern University, a Bachelor’s of Science in Criminal Justice Management from Union Institute & University, and is a graduate of the Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute and the POST Management School. She has been a member of the Women Leaders in Law Enforcement Program Committee since 2013 and served as Planning Committee co-chair for the recent 2019 Training Symposium. Johnson is also a member of the California Police Chiefs Association Training Committee.
Growing up, she was active in the Lafayette 4-H Club, raising market animals and showing horses. As a member of the Moraga Junior Horsemen’s Association, she competed in rodeo, trail events, and mounted color guard. Beth is a very proud mom to her two kids, Ashley (15) a sophomore and Ryan (14) a freshman at Benicia High School. Her favorite pastime is being at the softball and baseball fields cheering them on. Beth enjoys being outdoors hiking, kayaking, camping, hunting, traveling to new places, and spending time at her cabin in the mountains. She also loves to cook, garden, and binge good Netflix shows.
Beth comes to us with a strong foundation of experience, a genuine desire to serve the Martinez Community, motivation to build strong relationships with staff and the community in order to make Martinez a wonderful place to live, work, and visit.
Information provided by the Martinez Police Department