Dustin Olson

Dustin Olson, formerly the Assistant Chief of Police at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, is the new chief of the campus’s Police Department. His appointment took effect on November 2. He succeeds former Chief Bill Bean, who retired in June after 34 years of service to the Police Department, the last four years as chief.

In announcing the appointment, Chancellor Henry T. Yang said: “Mr. Olson has a strong commitment to working with our campus and community members to ensure a safe living, learning, and working environment for our students, staff, faculty, and visitors. As the Assistant Chief of Police at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, he demonstrated effective leadership in meeting the needs of a diverse campus community. He is highly regarded for his collaborative, community-oriented approach to policing.”

Olson is a graduate of UNLV, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice and a Master of Science in crisis and emergency management. He also is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and earned a Graduate Certificate in Criminal Justice from the University of Virginia. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1989 to 1998 as an administrative and personnel chief and received numerous honors and medals for his service, including the National Defense Service Medal and Joint Military Service Member of the Year.

Olson had been with the UNLV Police Department for a total of 10 years, during which time he was twice honored as Police Officer of the Year. In 2007 he received the Annual Award for Administrative Excellence from the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators. He has published several articles in law enforcement journals about community policing, sexual assault prevention programs, and campus emergency notification systems.

Olson said he was “truly honored” by his appointment as Chief of Police at UCSB. “I appreciate the opportunity to serve the faculty, staff, and students of such a distinguished institution,” he said.

Yang expressed his appreciation for the work of the Police Department and its leadership. “I would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to former Chief of Police Bill Bean for his 34 years of devoted leadership and service. We also thank Captain Mike Foster for so ably stepping in as Acting Chief of Police during the transition period.”