Irvine’s Newest Police Chief is a Local

Irvine Police Chief Michael Kent has served as an officer for 19 years and earned numerous awards in the line of duty. Photo credit Tim Knight.

Michael Kent is the first Irvine Police Chief to grow up in Irvine. A law enforcement professional with almost 20 years of experience, Kent was sworn in as Chief last month. He credits his teen years in Irvine with his rise through the ranks from Police Explorer to Chief. It all started with illegal use of his Walkman.

“I was crossing an intersection and a motor officer pulled me over because you can't listen to music and ride your bike at the same time,” explains Kent, who was about 15-years-old at the time. “So he pulled me over and I was absolutely terrified. I mean, this was my first interaction with a police officer, especially in the United States.”

Kent, whose mother is Iranian and father is Egyptian, immigrated to Irvine from Egypt in 1990.

“I just didn't know what to expect,” says Kent. “What was truly remarkable was how just nice and professional this officer was. It really, really left a mark on me and gave me a completely different perspective not just of a police officer, but Irvine Police Officers.”

The officer ended up giving Kent a ticket, and Kent opted for community service to avoid paying the citation. It was through community service that Kent was exposed to the Irvine Police Explorer Program, which he describes as “Girl Scout or Boy Scout program for high school-aged kids” to volunteer through the police department. During his time in the Explorer Program, Kent wore the group’s uniform, volunteered at special events, and attended Explorer meetings about police work.

“And that's when I knew this is it,” recalls Kent.

After graduating from Woodbridge High School in 1995, Kent thought about joining the force, but it wasn’t until the tragic events of 9/11 that he found the impetus he needed to begin his law enforcement career.

“‘I need to go apply now,” Kent remembers thinking.

Irvine opened their application process a few weeks later and Kent joined the force. Nearly twenty years later, he is now leading the department. Kent finds himself taking on the role of Chief at one of the most difficult of times for police departments.

"There's no question the last year and a half has been a challenging time overall for the law enforcement profession,” says Kent. “It started with COVID. The uncertainty, especially in the early days, not knowing the significance of how dangerous the virus was, how it could be spread, how it could be impacting a person if they were to get it. There was a lot of anxiety inside and outside of the building where people were coming to work, many of them going out in the field to the unknown.”

Kent credits the dedication of IPD’s officers for managing to protect the community during those strange early pandemic days. He mentions that his officers put not only their lives on the line, but their families’ lives as well, in order to serve their community as case rates continued to climb.

As IPD officers were figuring out how to effectively and safely do their jobs in a pandemic, the police force was suddenly faced with an entirely different challenge. Stories of brutality had been building in the news before images surfaced of Derek Chauvin kneeling on the neck of a member of a community he was sworn to protect. In the aftermath, all police departments were facing intense scrutiny.

“The unfortunate events that happened in Minneapolis with the murder of George Floyd put a lot of focus on law enforcement,” says Kent.

Kent attributes the IPD’s excellent policing and community outreach efforts with getting through a time when many police departments were perceived as toxic. IPD provides opportunities for Irvinites to get to know their officers through programs like the Community Police Academy, the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), police department tours, and the Irvine Police Explorers. Kent explains that these programs allow the community to meet officers who are out patrolling their streets.

Despite continuing to struggle with the pandemic and the perception of policing, Kent describes the amount of support his department receives on a daily basis as overwhelming.

“I can't tell you how many schools and churches and businesses and residents overall have showed up at our front door with thank you cards, poster boards, bottles of water, Gatorade, pizzas, coffee, cookies,” says Kent. “Just showering us with support and love. And that's what I think is so special about this community is they see the caliber of the police department they have that's serving them.”

Kent also credits the community’s support of IPD with the quality of its officers, 90% of whom hold a bachelor's degree. Having earned a bachelor’s degree from California State University Fullerton in Communications and a master’s degree from UCI in Criminology, Law and Society, Kent believes education is crucial to the law enforcement profession. He says it provides a different outlook on life, a greater level of maturity, and open-mindedness that is necessary for appropriate policing. While Kent appreciates the community’s support, he sees a need for policing to continue to improve.

“When you look at the profession as a whole, it has been evolving for decades and decades and decades,” says Kent. “Some of that happens organically with changes in policies, procedures, laws. And some of it, unfortunately, happens after a tragic event that forces change within a department or within the profession.”

Kent’s goal for IPD’s future is to continue to hire high-caliber, quality people and train them to become well-prepared, well-rounded police officers. He believes training is pivotal to IPD’s success. Giving officers continuous training, coupled with the tools and equipment they need, allows them to do the job safely in a professional manner, Kent explains.

Kent sees safety as a two-way street. He feels it is crucial that officers do everything they can to go home to their families at the end of their shift. At the same time, he sees the community’s trust in the conduct of IPD officers as imperative to the department’s success. Kent’s commitment to protecting the community is strengthened by his history with our city.

“I feel like I have more accountability to the residents,” says Kent. “Growing up in this community, I have a very clear understanding of what the expectation is of this police department.”

Kent still has the ticket from his run-in with the IPD as a teenager and likens it to a Golden Ticket from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. He is ready to lead his department as only a local Irvinite can.

“Taking on the role of Chief is obviously an honor and a blessing, but also I feel that there's probably a higher level of expectation of me in this role because people look at me like, ‘Well, you know what we're about, you know what we expect, you know what we need, and you know what we're looking for.’ And that's maintaining the safety of the city and obviously to continue to provide quality service and the partnership the police department has had with the city for decades.”

See Chief Kent’s message to the community and learn more about the Irvine Police Department online.