Former UCLA Police Chief John Thomas leaves department
Former UCLA Police Chief John Thomas left the school's department on Tuesday.
"December 10, 2024, was former UCLA Police Chief John Thomas' last day with UCLA and the UCLA Police Department," said a statement posted UCLAPD's X account. "UCLA Police Captain Scott Scheffler will serve as interim police chief until a permanent chief is selected."
It's unclear if Thomas resigned from the position or if the end of his tenure came about by different means.
He was previously "reassigned" in May after the tumultuous protests over the war in Gaza, that saw hundreds of people arrested as counter protesters clashed at the makeshift encampments set up by demonstrators. That decision came on the heels of the university's own investigation into the security processes they had in place at the time of the protests.
Thomas was heavily criticized for the department's response to those on campus clashes, as well as for how the encampments were dismantled with the use of other local law enforcement agencies.
Thomas was named the school's chief of police in January 2023. He was formerly a lieutenant with the Los Angeles Police Department and worked with the University of Southern California's Department of Public Safety as their executive director from 2013 to 2022.
