Joel Lopez serves as the Assistant Commanding Officer of the Community Safety Partnership (CSP) Bureau at the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), bringing more than 25 years of experience in education, youth development, and community-based public safety.

Raised in public housing in Tulare, California, Mr. Lopez was profoundly influenced by his father’s work as an organizer with Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers Union. This early exposure to grassroots activism instilled in him a lifelong commitment to social justice and community empowerment.

Mr. Lopez earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1995. He began his professional journey as a bilingual elementary school teacher with the Los Angeles Unified School District, where he taught for five years before transitioning into youth and community development.

From 2001 to 2011, Mr. Lopez served with the City of Los Angeles’ Youth Opportunities Movement, first as a youth case manager and later as a program development manager. In these roles, he worked to expand access to education, employment, and mentorship for underserved youth across the city.

In 2011, Mr. Lopez joined the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles as Resident Services Manager. He played a pivotal role in launching the Community Safety Partnership Program—an innovative collaboration between the Housing Authority, LAPD, and the Mayor’s Office of Gang Reduction and Youth Development. The program was designed to reduce crime and build trust through sustained, relationship-based policing and community engagement.

In September 2020, Mr. Lopez was appointed Civilian Assistant Commanding Officer of the newly established CSP Bureau at LAPD. In this capacity, he continues to lead efforts to institutionalize community-centered public safety strategies citywide.

Over the past 14 years, Mr. Lopez’s vision and leadership have helped transform the Community Safety Partnership Program from a pilot initiative into a nationally recognized model for community-based public safety. Originally launched in four public housing communities—Jordan Downs, Nickerson Gardens, Imperial Courts, and Ramona Gardens—the program emphasized sustained relationship-building between law enforcement and residents, collaborative problem-solving, and long-term investment in community trust.

With Mr. Lopez’s guidance, the program has strategically expanded to twelve sites by 2025, including neighborhoods beyond public housing. He has been instrumental in institutionalizing a holistic framework that integrates public safety with social services, youth development, and resident engagement—resulting in measurable reductions in violent crime and strengthened community-police relations across Los Angeles.