Newport Beach names Joe Cartwright as new police chief

Newport Beach officially has its newest police chief.

City Manager Grace Leung on Monday announced the appointment of Joe Cartwright, who had been acting as the interim chief of police while the city searched for its new hire.

Cartwright has been with the department for 21 years, according to the city, and has held a number of different positions within it prior to his appointment as the interim chief in late December of last year.

“It is an honor to serve the Newport Beach community with such an outstanding team of officers, professional staff and volunteers,” Cartwright said in an email. “I am very grateful for this opportunity and look forward to continuing the Newport Beach Police Department’s commitment to public safety excellence and community engagement.”

Cartwright will formally step into his role next month, which will make him the 11th police chief in the department’s history. Cartwright succeeds former Chief Jon Lewis and will oversee a department of more than 200 full-time employees across four divisions and a number of specialized units.

“Chief Cartwright brings a tremendous breadth and depth of public safety leadership experience to this position,” Leung said in the statement announcing the hire. “He is a proven leader with a passion for providing the best possible police services to the Newport Beach community.”

Cartwright started his career with the Los Angeles Police Department in 1999 but would leave three years later for Newport Beach in 2002. He has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s in organizational management in addition to being a graduate of several advanced law enforcement courses and being a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. He currently is chairman on the board of directors for the Newport Beach 1st Battalion, 1st Marines Foundation.

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