Sonoma State University Hires New Campus Police Chief

ROHNERT PARK (CBS SF) -- Sonoma State University named Nader Oweis as its new chief of police this week.

Oweis, who grew up in Sonoma County, comes to SSU with 26 years of experience in university policing.

"Sonoma State University is fortunate to have Chief Oweis join the team. He is exceptionally well suited to the position with demonstrated ability to successfully navigate the complex environment of university policing," said Vice President Joyce Lopes.

The 50-year-old Oweis, who currently serves as police chief at University of California at Santa Cruz, plans to begin working at Sonoma State in early December. According to a university press release, he will be leading a team of 12 officers to ensure "a safe campus environment and [foster] community engagement."

Prior to his position at UC Santa Cruz, Oweis served with the UC Davis Police Department, first as a student employee and later as a lieutenant. He was also recently selected as the University of California (UC) Coordinator of Police Services, which has him coordinating the Council of Police Chiefs, a governing body comprised chiefs at the UC's 10 campuses.

According to the university, Oweis has "promoted and embodied community-oriented policing and problem-solving principles and like Sonoma State University Police, has embraced the 6 tenets of President Obama's 21st-Century Policing Task Force, assuring policies, procedures, and training aligned with task force recommendations."

Oweis holds a master's degree in higher education from Drexel University and a bachelor's degree in agriculture and managerial economics from UC Davis. He has also completed several certification courses at Harvard University and UC Davis Extension.