about CARL
Chief Charles had successful 28-year career in law enforcement with the City of Downey. He retired in 2018, having served his final 6 years as Downey's Chief of Police. Chief Charles began his career at the Downey Police Department in 1990. He had a stellar record of service, rising through the ranks before becoming the City’s Chief of Police in 2012. During his tenure, Chief Charles is credited with equipping all officers with body-worn cameras, installing license-plate readers citywide, forming a homeless outreach team, improving communications with the public and media, implementing outreach events, developing a citizen volunteer program, re-instituting the K9 program, and allowing mental health professionals to ride with officers. Since his retirement, Chief Charles served as Interim Chief of Police at the City of Signal Hill and serves as an Instructor at the Center of Criminal Justice at California State University, Long Beach. In addition, he has a background in consulting and expert witness.
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Chief Charles holds a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Corrections from California State University, Northridge and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California.