Jason Farris is a husband of 31 years to his wife, Christy. They are proud of their four children, born and raised in California: a Police Department Public Information Officer in Colorado, a Firefighter in Washington, a D-1 athlete in Texas, and a U.S. Navy Sailor currently in the nuclear program.

Jason has been with the Laguna Beach Police Department for almost 25 years and is currently a lieutenant. He began his career with Laguna Beach as a dispatcher and later became a police officer. While in patrol, he worked various assignments, most notably as the Homeless Liaison Officer for 13 years, helping to establish policy, create ordinances, participate on numerous committees to advise on quality-of-life issues throughout the state.

Jason teaches topics at CSULB Center for Criminal Justice Research & Training, including Strategic Communication, Mental Health Decision Making, and Force Options – Use of Force and De-Escalation. He was a Recruit Training Officer (RTO) at Golden West Police Academy, teaches LD37 – People with Disabilities, and teaches Dynamics of Student Development at the Orange County Sheriff’s Academy SRO course. He has been identified as a P.O.S.T. subject matter expert in de-escalation, communications, and working with people with disabilities.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in both Criminal Justice and Spanish from Weber State University. Jason has been fortunate to receive numerous awards and recognition through his efforts of Community Policing, including Officer of the Year for the State of California