John Cregan, MS
John Cregan has more than twenty-six years of law enforcement experience and serves as the Chief of Police of the Santa Rosa Police Department. He began his law enforcement career in July of 1999 and has served in a wide variety of assignments.
Chief Cregan has served in the role of Chief of Police since May of 2022 and has focused on innovative violence reduction efforts, organizational wellness strategies, reimagining law enforcement’s response to mental health crisis, and building trust between the community and law enforcement.
Chief Cregan serves on the Board of Directors for the National Alliance on Mental Illness and is passionate about creating long-term solutions to help police officers better serve those suffering from mental illness in our communities. He led the creation of a multidisciplinary civilian mental health crisis response team that has become a model across the State of California.
Chief Cregan serves on the Board of Directors for the California Police Chiefs Association and works to develop the best practices for law enforcement agencies across the state.
Chief Cregan served as a Captain and managed the Field Services Division which includes the Patrol Bureau, Traffic Bureau, Downtown Enforcement Team, Community Service Officers, Field Evidence Technicians, S.W.A.T. Team, and the Hostage Negotiations Team.
Chief Cregan served as the lieutenant in charge of the Investigations Bureau and managed complex investigations including officer-involved shootings, homicides, and sexual assaults. He served as the lead Press Information Officer on these significant events and developed an expertise in managing press conferences and media inquiries.
As a sergeant, Chief Cregan oversaw the department’s Gang Crimes Team which investigated significant incidents of gang violence. He also managed the Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) program and helped to build stronger relationships between youth in the community and the police department.
As an officer, Chief Cregan served in a wide variety of positions including Field Training Officer, Motorcycle Officer assigned to the Traffic Division, Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) Instructor and member of the Hostage Negotiations Team. He was then promoted to detective and served as a Gang Crimes Detective where he testified as a court-recognized gang expert 26 times in three different Bay Area counties.
Chief Cregan holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration and a Master of Science in Law Enforcement and Public Safety Leadership in addition to being a graduate of the California POST Command College (Class #66) and the POST Executive Development Course.