Steven J. Griffin, a veteran law enforcement officer with extensive experience overseeing public safety at colleges and school districts, is the new chief of the University Police Department at Cal State San Bernardino.

Griffin will be formally sworn in at a ceremony at 9 a.m. Sept. 4 in the Santos Manuel Student Union South, Event Center B.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve as the next chief of police for the Cal State San Bernardino Police Department,” Griffin said. “I look forward to joining the Coyote community and building upon the strong foundation already established by the department. 

“My commitment is to provide community based policing while creating a safe and welcoming environment where students, faculty, staff and visitors feel safe while they learn, work and thrive,” he said. “I believe in building trust through visibility, communication, accountability and service. I am excited to work alongside the entire university community as we move forward together.”

He joins CSUSB from the Chaffey Community College District Police Department, where he served as chief of police and director of public safety beginning in March 2024. In that role, Griffin directed daily police operations, managed emergency planning and worked with administrators, faculty, staff, students and regional law enforcement agencies.

Griffin previously served as interim police chief and director of public safety for the Fontana Unified School District from January 2022 to February 2024. His responsibilities included managing the district’s Emergency Operations Center and coordinating police, security and protective services throughout the district.

Before moving into executive leadership, Griffin spent more than 17 years with the Montclair Police Department. As a sergeant and watch commander, he supervised field and station personnel, internal affairs investigations, performance evaluations and several specialized programs.

His assignments in Montclair also included detective, field training officer and crime suppression officer. He investigated homicides, robberies, assaults, hate crimes and terrorism-related incidents, and supervised detectives during critical incidents and active investigations.

Griffin began his policing career in educational settings, serving with the Riverside Community College District and Baldwin Park Unified School District police departments. At Baldwin Park, he worked as a school resource officer, gang officer, field training officer and canine handler.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from California Coast University and holds California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training basic, intermediate, advanced, supervisory, management, and executive certificates. Griffin also completed the California Police Chiefs Association’s Executive Leadership Institute with the Druker School of Management at the Claremont Graduate University.

He was named Montclair Police Department’s Officer of the Year in 2008 and Baldwin Park School Police Department’s Officer of the Year in 2003.