Deputy Chief Joshua Vincelet

Patrol and Traffic Division

Deputy Chief Vincelet started his law enforcement career as an explorer cadet with the California Highway Patrol in 1999. He attended the Fullerton Police Academy, where he was sponsored by the City of Antioch. Deputy Chief Vincelet graduated from the Fullerton Police Academy in early 2001 and began working as a police officer in the City of Antioch. He held a variety of positions, including field training officer, SWAT Team member, explorer advisor and instructor. Deputy Chief Vincelet also worked as a narcotics detective in the Special Operations Unit.

In 2012, Deputy Chief Vincelet joined the Newport Beach Police Department as a patrol officer. While in the Patrol Division, he served as a field training officer, SWAT Team member, and explorer advisor. Deputy Chief Vincelet also worked in the Detective Division as a Crimes Against Persons detective (homicide, robbery, and aggravated assaults).

In 2018, he was promoted to the rank of sergeant and continued in roles as a Field Training Program coordinator, SWAT Team supervisor, and explorer advisor. Deputy Chief Vincelet concluded his time as a sergeant in the Professional Standards Unit. In 2022, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant, where he was assigned as the Area 1 commander (Balboa Peninsula) and later Area 4 commander (Corona del Mar–Newport Coast). Along with his primary area commands, he oversaw the entire field training and probationary officer program and was assigned as the overall commander of the combined Laguna Beach/Newport Beach SWAT and Negotiations Teams. In 2024, he was placed in charge of the entire Traffic Division, which consists of motor officers, Major Accident Investigation detectives, citywide special events and planning, Parking Control, Animal Control, and the City’s animal shelter.

Upon his promotion to deputy chief of police, he was assigned to oversee the Patrol and Traffic Divisions, which consist of nearly 150 sworn and non-sworn employees across general operations and 10 specialized units.

Deputy Director Jonathan Stafford

Support Services Division

Deputy Director Stafford has over 29 years of experience in support roles for government agencies, serving in the United States Coast Guard, the Long Beach Police Department, the Port of Long Beach, and the Newport Beach Police Department.

Mr. Stafford was raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico and moved to Long Beach in September 1991 while on active duty in the United States Coast Guard. After assignments in San Francisco and San Pedro, he was honorably discharged in March 1995 and he was hired by the Long Beach Police Department as a communications dispatcher. He worked as a dispatcher, trainer, and assistant supervisor in the Communications Division for a total of seven years before transferring to the Port of Long Beach as an assistant administrative analyst in February 2003. He returned to the Long Beach Police Department upon his appointment as records administrator in November 2004.

In January 2008, Mr. Stafford assumed command of a new Records and Technology Division that was created by combining the Records Division with the Information Technology Division. He retained his records administrator duties and gained responsibility for information technology, fleet, crime statistics, and the Department Operations Center.

Mr. Stafford joined the Newport Beach Police Department in February 2012 and serves as the deputy director of the Support Services Division.

Mr. Stafford has served on boards of directors for several community service organizations and for the Long Beach Management Association.  He was also the chief's liaison to the Long Beach Police Department Chaplain's Advisory Group. He graduated summa cum laude from California State University Dominguez Hills in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in Public Administration and is a graduate of the Los Angeles Police Department’s West Point Leadership Program. In July 2019, he attended the Senior Executives in State & Local Government Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.