Full Notification

Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown is pleased to announce his selection of Bernard “Barney” Melekian as his new undersheriff, to be effective January 5, 2015.

Melekian’s impressive qualifications include many years of distinguished public service at both the local and federal level. After serving in the United States Army from 1967-1970 he began his law enforcement service with the Santa Monica Police Department in 1973. He transferred to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office and worked with our organization from 1976 – 1977. He returned to Santa Monica P.D. and worked a wide variety of assignments including patrol, detectives, K-9, Communications and SWAT. While a member of the Santa Monica Police Department he served in all ranks from police officer to assistant chief and was awarded both the Medal of Courage and the Medal of Valor. In 1996 he was selected to be the chief of police for the City of Pasadena, a position he held for the next 13 years. During his time in Pasadena, a city of 140,000, he worked diligently to address a plague of gang violence. Under his leadership the police department instituted a comprehensive program to reduce gang violence that ultimately resulted in a 48% decline in serious crime, including a 70% reduction in homicides.

In 2009 Melekian was selected by the United States Attorney General to lead the U.S. Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office. The COPS Office provides grants, training and technical assistance to law enforcement agencies throughout the United States. Melekian served in that role until 2013, after which he did consulting work for several major U.S. law enforcement agencies including U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and the Chicago, Baltimore and Seattle Police Departments. He is currently under contract with the City of Seattle through December 31, 2014.

Melekian has a doctorate in policy, planning and development from the University of Southern California and a master’s in public administration degree from California State University, Northridge. He graduated from both the FBI National Academy and the California POST Command College, and is a past president of the California Police Chiefs Association. In 2009 he retired honorably from the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve after 25 years of service, including two extended active duty assignments, one in Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Storm.

Melekian is currently a board member for the national Police Foundation, a commissioner on the State of California’s Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, a commissioner on the City of Santa Barbara’s Police & Fire Commission, and a board member on the Santa Barbara Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse. He and his wife, Nancy, have 6 grown children and reside in Santa Barbara.

Sheriff Brown said, “Barney Melekian is a nationally recognized law enforcement professional with a history of achieving success, building trust and making a difference wherever he has served. He is exceptionally bright and hard working. I can think of no one who is better respected in the law enforcement profession. I am delighted he will be joining our agency and look forward to working with him as my undersheriff.”

A swearing-in ceremony for Undersheriff-select Melekian is planned for January 5, 2015.