The ASU Police Department is pleased to announce the appointment of Commander John Thompson to the role of Assistant Chief.

Commander Thompson was selected as the top candidate from a four-months long, community driven hiring process. He competed against candidates from across the United States and was determined to be the best fit for the position by panels featuring ASUPD staff, University faculty and staff, and student organization representatives.

ASU Police Chief Michael Thompson

“John has proven himself as a Commander, and is prepared and ready to take on this position as his next assignment,” ASU Police Chief Michael Thompson said. “John has worked extensively with the ASU community over many years, and has worked almost every possible assignment within the police department.”

This rigorous hiring process began in November 2021. The timeframe and laborious nature of the search was necessary to ensure inclusivity of the ASU community, and to make sure the candidate selected was the best fit for both the department and University as a whole.

“I’m honored to accept the position of Assistant Chief,” John Thompson said. “Having so much of this interview process feature the greater ASU community was crucial, and I’m humbled to be the selected candidate. We are an agency committed to progress and innovation, and I look forward to a new role in that growth process.”

Assistant Chief Thompson holds three degrees, including a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Arizona State University. He is also a faculty associate in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice in the Watt’s College of Public Service and Community Solutions at ASU, is bilingual in English and Spanish, and carries multiple professional development certificates.