Temecula Mayor Matt Rahn and City Manager Aaron Adams announced today that Chris Durham, a Captain and 22-year veteran of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, has been appointed as the new Temecula Chief of Police effective November 17, 2022. The City's current Police Chief, Zachary Hall, has been promoted to the rank of Chief Deputy within the Riverside County Sheriff's Executive Team.
"Newly promoted Chief Deputy Zachary Hall has been an outstanding asset to the City of Temecula and an exceptional leader of public safety with innovative zero-tolerance policing initiatives that have served our City well," states Temecula City Manager Aaron Adams. "I am confident his successor, Captain Chris Durham, will fit in nicely with the leadership culture of the City of Temecula as it aligns squarely with the Service above Self principles of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department," adds Adams.
Temecula Mayor Matt Rahn states, "We welcome Chris Durham as Temecula's new Police Chief and we are confident in his leadership and vast law enforcement experience spanning more than two decades including working in cities such as Perris and Moreno Valley, as well as serving on the County’s Gang Task Force." Rahn adds, "Public safety, preventing crime, and maintaining a safe City [Temecula SAFE] will always remain my top priority and the highest priority in Temecula. We thank our outgoing Police Chief Zachary Hall for his remarkable leadership setting a new standard for law enforcement in Temecula. We anticipate Durham will continue to lead with a strong proactive law enforcement approach to deter crime in Temecula and keep our City safe."
Captain Durham began his career as a Sheriff's Deputy in 2001 in Moreno Valley and soon promoted to Corporal, and then served as an Investigator. In 2010, he was promoted again to become a Sheriff's Sergeant at the Smith Correctional Facility until transferring as Sergeant to the Perris Station, and then overseeing aspects of a multi-agency Gang Task Force. Among other positions, Durham also served as Sheriff's Sergeant at the Southwest Justice Center until he was promoted to Lieutenant in 2019 and thereafter transferred to the Moreno Valley Station from where he will soon transition to become Temecula Police Chief and Captain of the Southwest Station. Durham also holds a Master’s Degree in Management and Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice.
Captain Durham states, “I am excited for this opportunity to serve the people of Southwest Riverside County. I look forward to working with Temecula city leaders, as well as members of the public. Through hard work, and a collaborative effort, we will continue to keep your communities safe. Thank you for your ongoing support of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.”
Acknowledging the support from City leadership and from Temecula residents, Chief Deputy Zach Hall states, "Temecula has been the most rewarding and exciting assignment of my career and I am thankful for what I learned, experienced, and the people I met. Thank you for supporting me, your deputies, and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. As your contracted law enforcement partner, I remain a part of Temecula’s team from a different level and leave you in the very capable hands of Captain Chris Durham."
