Denton Carlson, MS

Denton Carlson, MS

Denton Carlson served in California law enforcement from 1998 until his retirement in December 2025, beginning as a Deputy with the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff and concluding his career as Chief of Police for the San Ramon Police Department. Over his 27-year career, he held a wide range of operational and command roles, including Detective, SWAT Sniper Team Leader, Regional SWAT Team Commander, Firearms Training Coordinator, and Bureau Captain over both operations and administrative services. He pioneered the San Ramon Police Department’s social media outreach and crisis communication protocols, earning Employee of the Year recognition from the San Ramon Chamber of Commerce, and spent seven years as the city’s Director of Emergency Management. During his final year as Chief, San Ramon was ranked the #1 city in the United States for quality of life by the Social Progress Initiative.

Denton holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and a Master’s Degree in Emergency Services Administration, and is a graduate of POST Command College, where he received the Dorothy Harris Award for Academic Excellence. In his retirement, Denton continues to support the law enforcement profession through instruction on the ethical implementation of artificial intelligence, as the Public Safety Ambassador for Longeye, Inc., the Program Advisor for the California Accreditation for Public Safety, and as the Retired Chief Representative on the California Police Chiefs Association Board of Directors.