Newport Beach Police Department Gets New Top Cop

Newport Beach Police Department veteran Jon Lewis has been named the department’s new chief.

Newport Beach City Manager Dave Kiff announced the selection of new chief Wednesday morning. Lewis is currently the the Newport Beach Police Department’s deputy chief of police and commander of its Patrol/Traffic Division.

“I have great faith that Jon’s top-notch leadership skills, integrity, vision and law enforcement experience are an excellent fit for the NBPD and for our community,” Kiff said. “During his police career here, Jon has shown a strong engagement with our community on critical issues, all for the betterment of Newport Beach. I’m proud of the work Jon has accomplished for Newport Beach and am very pleased to promote him to the top job in our police department.”

Lewis has been with the department for 25 years. He started as a part-time employee while he earned his undergraduate degree and became a full-time police officer in 1996, according to Newport Beach spokeswoman Tara Finnigan. Lewis was appointed deputy chief in 2014. Over the years, Lewis served in capacities in each of the department’s divisions including patrol, detectives and support services.