Kevin Childe named Fountain Valley police chief
Fountain Valley Police Capt. Kevin Childe has been named the city’s new police chief, replacing Dan Llorens who recently retired.
He becomes the city’s sixth chief since the department was started in 1967.
Captain Childe is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and grew up in Fountain Valley, graduating from Los Amigos High School.
He was hired by Fountain Valley Police Department while attending Golden West College Police Academy and started his career as a police officer in 1990.
Among his assignments in Fountain Valley, Chief Childe has worked patrol, K-9 and SWAT. He was promoted to the rank of sergeant in 1999 and worked as a patrol field supervisor, detective supervisor and oversaw the department’s Field Training Program.
Upon promotion to lieutenant in 2002 he returned to the patrol division and worked as a watch commander.
Upon promotion to captain in 2004 he assumed command of the patrol division and was responsible for frontline police services. In 2007, he assumed command of the support services division and was responsible for the investigation bureau, dispatch, records, crime lab, property, and the department budget. In 2012, he returned to the patrol division as the patrol division commander.
He is actively involved in the California Police Officers Association, which provides leadership training to police officers throughout the state. He has been an adjunct instructor at Golden West College for more than a decade and has taught, trained, or mentored police officers throughout Orange and Los Angeles counties. He currently manages the Returning Combat Veterans Scholarship program which provides scholarships for Veterans entering the Police profession.
He is a graduate of POST Command College class 40, the POST Executive Development program, and The West Point Leadership Program at the Los Angeles Police Department.
Chief Childe has a bachelor of science degree in vocational education-law enforcement and a master of science degree in emergency services management from Long Beach State University.
He is married with two children and, according to the police department's website, he "enjoys cycling and fitness activities when not busy attending club soccer games, soccer camps, soccer fundraisers, soccer team parties or soccer tournaments with his family."
