Paul Cooper was announced UCIPD’s new chief of police on Sept. 4, five months after former chief Liz Griffin retired.
Cooper, who has been serving as interim chief of police since June, was assistant chief of police to former chief Jorge Cisneros and to Griffin, and served as interim chief once before, following Cisneros’s departure.
“I look forward to working with our team of dedicated police officers and professional staff to provide the campus community and medical centers with the highest level of service and protection,” Cooper said in a press release.
As police chief, Cooper will manage patrol, administration, investigations, emergency management and public safety services at all UCI Health locations and the UCI Langson Orange County Museum of Art. He will be overseeing 40 sworn officers and over 100 public safety and professional staff.
“His leadership experience, collaborative approach and deep knowledge of the UC Irvine community will help ensure continuity of operations and the continued delivery of exceptional public safety services,” UCI Chief Financial Officer Mary Lou D. Ortiz said in an email to the campus community.
According to Assistant Vice Chancellor, Communication & Media Relations Michael Uhlenkamp, UCI conducted a national search for potential police chief candidates. After candidates were identified, they were interviewed by a committee, headed by Senior Associate Vice Chancellor Rick Coulon, and made up of students, faculty, staff, University Hills residents and a police chief from another UC school.
Last month, three finalists participated in virtual open forums open to all UCI students, faculty and staff. The finalists were also given the opportunity to meet with campus leaders, including Chancellor Gillman, Provost Hal Stern and other members of the chancellor’s cabinet, UCI Health leadership and Student Affairs leadership.
Before coming to UCI, Cooper served as chief of police for 10 years at the Claremont Police Department. After 30 years at CPD, he retired in 2016, but later joined UCIPD 2018 as assistant chief of police at the end of Cisneros’s term, where he helped oversee campus safety operations.
Mariam Farag is a 2026-27 managing editor. She can be reached at manager@newuniversity.org.
