Lieutenant Cornelius Ashton brings 25 years of law enforcement experience to his role. He began his career at the San Diego Community College District Police Department, where he served for 15 years as a Corporal/Field Training Officer and General Crimes Detective. In 2015, Lieutenant Ashton joined the Laguna Beach Police Department, worked as a Patrol Officer, and later served as a Juvenile Crimes and General Investigations Detective.

In 2017, he was promoted to the rank of Corporal and served as a Field Training Officer. He later returned to Investigative Services, where he was instrumental in launching the city's first School Resource Officer (SRO) program. As an SRO, Lieutenant Ashton focused on building strong relationships between the school community and the city through education and youth mentoring. He also founded the LBPD's first Teen Leadership Academy (TLA), inviting police personnel and community members to teach students essential life skills and leadership traits.

In 2020, Lieutenant Ashton was promoted to Sergeant, taking on roles as a Watch Commander, Field Supervisor, Public Information Officer, and Special Events Coordinator. By 2022, he advanced to the rank of Lieutenant, managing the Field Services Division. He currently serves as the Support Services Division Lieutenant.

Lieutenant Ashton holds a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice Administration and a master's degree in Organizational Leadership with an emphasis in Emergency Management.

In his spare time, Lieutenant Ashton enjoys spending time with his family, weight training, running, mentoring and traveling. He is also an avid reader, particularly of books about leaders who have positively impacted the world with their unique gifts.