Ray Samuels was appointed to the position of Police Chief for the City of Newark in 2003. He is the seventh Police Chief since the City’s incorporation in 1955.
Chief Samuels began his career in law enforcement in 1975 as a police officer with the city of Vallejo. He was then hired by the Concord Police Department in 1981, where he remained for the next 18 years. While employed at the Concord Police Department, Chief Samuels held numerous positions within the organization, including Traffic Bureau Commander and Professional Standards Unit Commander.
Chief Samuels was hired as a Police Lieutenant with the Newark Police Department in March 1999. He was responsible for the Administrative Division, Personnel and Training, and the Investigation Division. Chief Samuels was promoted to Captain in April 2002. His primary responsibilities included the Patrol Division, Code Enforcement, and Traffic Unit.
Chief Samuels received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Administration of Justice from Golden Gate University and his Master of Arts degree in Education from San Diego State University. He is also a graduate of the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training Command College, the Senior Management Institute for Police in Boston, Massachusetts, and the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. Chief Samuels is a member of the California Police Officers Association, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Rotary Club of Newark. He served as President for Newark Rotary in 2002-2003, as well as the Area 3 Assistant District Governor for Rotary District 5170 in 2004-2005 and again in 2005-2006. He is also a member of the Salvation Army Advisory Board serving the communities of Fremont, Newark, and Union City.
Chief Samuels has been instrumental in the implementation of Community Policing strategies while serving the Newark community. He facilitated the reorganization of the Community Services Division, which was designed to improve coordination and enhance the efforts of the code enforcement unit and the patrol division. Chief Samuels was also actively involved in facilitating a unique partnership between the Newark Police Department and the Newark Unified School District. Under his leadership, a three officer Community Safety Team (CST) was developed and began to focus on gang education, intervention, and enforcement in July 2006. The CST works closely with our School Resource Officers and school district personnel. They have been highly effective during their first year of operation.
Chief Samuels is committed to further development of our community policing efforts, with a focus on enhanced partnerships with community members and groups.
To contact Chief Samuels please email him at ray.samuels@newark.org or call him at (510) 578-4315.
