Chief Jose Chavez

Operations

 

                Chief Chavez has 34 yrs of law enforcement experience.  He served with the U.S. Army, Military Police Corps as a Military Policeman, MP Investigator, and an investigative supervisor.  He was later accepted by the Criminal Investigation Command and served as a special agent, economic crime investigator, hostage negotiator, team chief, acting special agent-in-charge, and a polygraph examiner.  He was deployed to Saudi Arabia as the only examiner for all of the Department of Defense, during Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and Desert Farewell.  He was awarded the Bronze Star for his service during these operations.  In 1994, Chief Chavez retired from the U.S. Army as a Chief Warrant Officer Three.    

In 1995, Chief Chavez was hired by the Norman Police Department.  He was assigned to patrol, special operations, and the detective bureau.  He left the police department in 2009, to take his current position.  While employed with the police department Chief Chavez served as a fitness and academy instructor, patrolman, hostage negotiator, narcotics and child abuse detective. He is also a State of Oklahoma, licensed polygraph examiner.  He founded the department’s current offender registration enforcement, polygraph and child victims units. 

While employed with the Norman Police Department, Chief Chavez was the recipient of the department’s officer and the Cleveland County District Attorney’s investigator of the year awards.  He was also awarded the Wayne Martin Memorial Award by the Cleveland County Child Advocacy Center, The Mary Abbott Children’s House.  Chief Chavez was instrumental in relocating members of the child abuse multi-disciplinary team into the Mary Abbott Children’s House.  He drafted policy which is currently used by the Cleveland County, Child Abuse Response Team to better serve neglected and abused children. Chief Chavez also established reading programs with Norman Public Schools, called P.R.E.S.S. (Police Read to Education Social Skills) and Badges of Character.  One of the reading programs received state recognition and was awarded The Ruth Brown Memorial Award. Chief Chavez has an associate degree in general studies and a bachelor degree in criminal justice.   

The Operations Division is the largest division within the sheriff’s office.  It consists of approximately sixty personnel, who are assigned as patrol, canine, detective, judicial security, warrant, civil, and school deputies.  Chief Chavez is committed to bring a quality and professional law enforcement service to all the citizens of Cleveland County.  He is further committed to ensuring all sheriff personnel are trained and issued the best equipment available so services provided are done in a safe and efficient manner.