Carpenter promoted to chief deputy

Cmdr. Dennis Carpenter, acting chief of police of Thousand Oaks, will be appointed to chief deputy of the Ventura County Sheriff's Department effective Feb. 8.

"Dennis has done a truly outstanding job as police chief over the past four years. He played a key role in implementing City Council's strong commitment to public safety," Thousand Oaks City Manager Scott Mitnick said.

Mitnick credits Carpenter for converting the DARE program, which was led by two police officers, to the three-officer School Resource Officer program.

"He also led the charge in establishing the region's first Internet predator detective position right here in Thousand Oaks," Mitnick said.

Carpenter will now be the second in command and in charge of all of the county's patrol operations. He is replacing retiring Chief Dep. Chris Godfrey.

Carpenter's law enforcement career of more than 34 years began with the Port Hueneme Police Department; later he joined the Ventura County Sheriff 's Department.

At the VCSD he was assigned to the special enforcement detail in East County at the training center in Camarillo. He was also a resident deputy in Lockwood Valley. Carpenter spent several stints on the right side of the bars in detention services. He was also a patrol watch commander.

In 1995, he was promoted to lieutenant—this designation is now called a captain— managing the narcotics unit and overseeing the transition to the Countywide Narcotics Task Force.

Carpenter later headed up internal affairs within the Professional Standards Bureau. He was later promoted to commander and managed the Court Services Bureau.

He earned a bachelor's degree in administration of justice from California Lutheran University and a master's degree in public administration from Cal State Northridge.

Carpenter has been married for 35 years and has two children and five grandchildren, with number six due in March.