Denton Carlson, MS
Denton’s law enforcement career started in 1998 as a Deputy Sheriff. In 2002, he began serving the San Ramon community through the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff as a contract police officer for the city. In 2007, Denton joined the newly formed San Ramon Police Department, and during his time as an Officer, Corporal and Sergeant, he held the positions of Patrol Officer, Community Academy Coordinator, Detective, Tactical Team member and Team Leader, Law Enforcement Academy Recruit Training Officer, Patrol Supervisor and Professional Standards and Training Supervisor.
In 2014, Denton promoted to Lieutenant as a manager within the Patrol Division. A year later, he developed the department’s Community Resource and Crime Prevention Division. This included implementing Social Media Outreach and Public Safety Emergency Communications platforms. Denton was also the department’s Public Information Officer, Multi-Agency Central County SWAT Team Commander, and the Department’s liaison with the San Ramon Valley Unified School District. Denton’s efforts related to community engagement, social media, and public safety communication platforms, led to his selection as the 2016 Employee of the Year by the San Ramon Chamber of Commerce.
Denton was promoted to Captain in 2017 and served as the Operations Bureau Commander, overseeing the department’s Patrol, Traffic and Youth Services Divisions, and later as the Support Services Bureau Commander, where he was responsible for the Investigations, Community Resource and Crime Prevention, Professional Standards and Training, Finance, Records and Property and Evidence Divisions. In addition, he served as the Director of the City of San Ramon’s Office of Emergency Management from 2015 until his promotion to Chief of Police in July 2022.
Denton holds a Master’s degree in Emergency Services Administration from California State University, Long Beach, and is a graduate of the California Peace Officer Standards and Training Command College, where he received the Dorothy Harris Award for Outstanding Academic Excellence. He is also a graduate of the California Police Chiefs Association’s Executive Development Certificate Program and the Executive Certificate Program in Transformative Leadership from California State University, East Bay.