Paul Cooper named chief of UC Irvine Police Department

Irvine, Calif., Sept. 4, 2026 - Paul Cooper has been appointed the next chief of police for the University of California, Irvine. He has been a member of the UC Irvine Police Department since 2018 and has served the university in a variety of roles, including assistant chief of police as well as interim chief on two occasions.

In this role, Cooper will oversee patrol, administration, investigations and emergency management, as well as public safety services at the UCI Health medical centers in Irvine, Orange, Fountain Valley, Los Alamitos, Lakewood and Placentia. He will represent the UCIPD on campus, at the medical centers and throughout neighboring communities. He also will work with outside law enforcement agencies, serve on committees and develop partnerships to support public safety across the university.

"Chief Cooper has a long, demonstrated history of commitment to the safety, security and well-being of the UC Irvine community," said Mary Lou D. Ortiz, UC Irvine's chief financial officer and vice chancellor for finance & administration. "His leadership experience, collaborative approach and deep knowledge of the campus community will help ensure continuity of operations and the continued delivery of exceptional public safety services."

Cooper began his career in law enforcement in 1985 with the Claremont Police Department, where he was chief of police from 2006 to 2016. He joined UC Irvine in 2018 as assistant police chief and served two stints as interim police chief, most recently from June through August of this year. In his capacity as assistant police chief, Cooper was responsible for the oversight of police department and public safety operations across campus, UC Irvine's medical centers and the UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art in Costa Mesa.

"I look forward to working with our team of dedicated police officers and professional staff to provide the campus community and medical centers with the highest level of service and protection," he said.

Cooper earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice at the Union Institute & University and is a graduate of the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) executive development and Command College programs, as well as the UC Irvine Inclusive Excellence Certificate Program.

He succeeds Liz Griffin, who was UCIPD chief from May 2019 until this June, when she retired.

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UC Irvine is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is ranked among the nation's top 10 public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The campus has produced five Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UC Irvine has more than 36,000 students and offers 224 degree programs. It's located in one of the world's safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County's second-largest employer, contributing $7 billion annually to the local economy and $8 billion statewide. For more on UC Irvine, visit www.uci.edu.