President Biden Taps Former Richmond Police Chief Chris Magnus As Customs and Border Protection Commissioner
WASHINGTON (CBS SF) -- Chris Magnus, former chief of the Richmond Police Department, has been nominated by President Joe Biden to be Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Magnus is currently the police chief in Tucson, Arizona, a position he began in 2015 following his nine-year tenure at Richmond PD.
During his time as Richmond's top cop, Magnus was credited with improving community policing and dropping crime rates in the city. including a dramatic reduction in murders to a 33-year low of 11 murders in 2014.
As Tucson's police chief, Magnus implemented de-escalation training, sentinel event review processes, and programs to promote officer health and wellness, according to the White House. Magnus also has extensive experience in addressing immigration issues because of Tucson's proximity to the border, the White House said.
Magnus previously served as police chief in Fargo, North Dakota and came up through the ranks in the Lansing, Michigan Police Department, the city where he grew up.
He is a graduate of Michigan State University with has a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice and a master's degree in Labor Relations. Magnus also attended the Harvard Kennedy School Senior Executives in State and Local Government program.