Undersheriff Bernard Melekian of the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office, is the new chairman of the board for the National Police Foundation (NPF). He was recently elected to the position after serving on the Board of Directors the past three years.
The NPF is a Washington, D.C.,-based research organization, committed to the premise of “advancing policing through innovation and science.”
Melekian said he is pleased to take on this new role, in addition to his position as second in command at the Sheriff’s Office.
“I am honored to have been selected and look forward to continuing to work on issues of national significance related to policing,” he said. All NPF Board members volunteer their time and are reimbursed only for travel expenses.
The NPF was founded in 1970 through a grant from the Ford Foundation. Previous chairmen include Dr. James Q. Wilson, William Webster and Michigan Gov. William Milliken.
The purpose of the National Police Foundation is to help law enforcement to be more effective in serving their respective communities. The group works closely with law enforcement agencies across the country.
The Police Foundation has existed for 45 years and has supported or conducted numerous scientific studies in policing which have changed policing and continue to influence policing today.
Melekian, who has more than 45 years of law-enforcement experience, was hired by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office in January 2015 and is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Sheriff’s Office.
Prior to accepting the position as undersheriff, he was a commissioner on the state of California’s Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission as well as serving on the city of Santa Barbara’s Police and Fire Commission.
He is currently a board member on the Santa Barbara Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse.
— Kelly Hoover for Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.