The Costa Mesa Police Department has appointed Captain Joyce LaPointe to the newly created position of deputy police chief, the department announced Saturday.
LaPointe, who was the department’s first female captain, is a 26-year veteran of the CMPD and will oversee the Patrol Operations and Support Services divisions as well as the Professional Standards Bureau as the CMPD’s second in command.
“Deputy Chief LaPointe’s well-deserved promotion is a proud moment for our police department,” Police Chief Ron Lawrence said. “Deputy Police Chief LaPointe will ensure our key philosophies of customer service and professional responsiveness to our community, businesses, and city officials. I am confident that she will work hard in this new role to secure the success of this department. One of my main duties is succession planning and I am reassured that she has the qualifications and drive to take on this role.”
The new position was approved by the Costa Mesa City Council on March 21.
“I am honored to have been promoted to deputy chief of the Costa Mesa Police Department, where I grew up from police officer to captain,” LaPointe said. “I thank Chief Lawrence and the city for recognizing my value and accomplishments during my 26 years here. I also thank my CMPD team for their support and warm welcome as I continue my every-day efforts to help lead this wonderful police department and serve Costa Mesa, a city I live and work in. My heart is here and I’m grateful for this opportunity to keep serving my community.”
LaPointe began her career in 1997 as a police officer. She held many positions, including patrol officer, FTO, defensive tactics instructor, tactical flight officer and traffic investigator. She was promoted to sergeant in 2007, and held various supervisory roles including patrol sergeant, jail sergeant, FTO sergeant, force tactics team supervisor and emergency management coordinator.
In 2015, LaPointe was promoted to police lieutenant. In 2018, she served as the telecommunications manager, where she oversaw the police and fire dispatch center, technical services and special projects.
She was promoted to police captain in 2020.
LaPointe is an associate member of the California Police Chiefs Association, and a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.