Geoff Dean was born in Los Angeles and raised in the San Fernando Valley until the age of 13 when his family moved to Simi Valley. He attended Simi Valley High School where he lettered in both swimming and water polo.
Geoff first joined the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department in 1977 as a cadet in the City of Thousand Oaks. Four months later he was hired as a deputy sheriff and joined the Ventura County Sheriff’s Training Academy. It was the beginning of a remarkable career.
A Rapid Rise Through the Ranks, Promoted by Three Sheriffs: After a tour working in the jail, Geoff began patrolling the streets of Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, and the areas surrounding Simi Valley. Excelling in his patrol duties, he was later assigned to the Sheriff’s Special Enforcement Detail; an advanced unit of deputies specially trained in high risk or unique patrol duties, including plain-clothes details and gang enforcement.
As his career unfolded, Dean’s hard work and dedication earned a series of departmental promotions from three different Sheriffs. Sheriff John Gillespie promoted Dean to Senior Deputy and selected him as a training officer at the Sheriff’s Training Academy, teaching new recruits. Sheriff Gillespie next promoted Dean to Sergeant. In that rank he served as a Jail Watch Commander, Administrative Sergeant at the Main Jail, and Patrol Services Supervisor.
Command Experience in Every Part of Ventura County: In 1989, Sheriff Gillespie promoted Dean to Lieutenant and assigned him first as the manager of the City of Thousand Oaks Traffic Bureau. Then, in 1991, Geoff was appointed the Chief of Police in the City of Moorpark. .
Later on, Sheriff Larry Carpenter promoted Dean to Commander, assigning him to manage all police services for the City of Moorpark and the unincorporated areas of eastern Ventura County. Because of his outstanding performance in this assignment, Sheriff Carpenter then asked Dean to take command of all sheriff’s police services for the western portion of the county, all unincorporated areas, the cities of Fillmore and Ojai, the Sheriff’s Communications Center, and the Office of Emergency Services.
A Personal Commitment to Community Service: In every city he has served, Geoff has demonstrated a desire to contribute to the community far beyond his official duties. While on assignment in Moorpark, for example, he served on the Board of the Moorpark Rotary Club and as a guest instructor at Moorpark High School. And he volunteered his time to speak throughout the County about safety issues, the law, civil rights, careers in law enforcement, and other related topics.
Helping young people has always been a special focus for Geoff. Right from the start of his law enforcement career, he volunteered as an Explorer Scout Advisor providing leadership, role modeling and mentoring to our local teenagers.
A Reputation for Leadership and Innovation: Not satisfied with just mastering his regular duties, in each new assignment Geoff was innovative and recognized for employee training, mentoring, and development programs. He served as a SWAT team member, Team Supervisor, and was then asked to manage the Department SWAT team. He also found time to serve as a board member of the Ventura County Deputy Sheriff’s Association. 
In the mid-90's, Dean was recruited by the Detention Services Division Administration to coordinate and manage the $65 million dollar operational budget of the largest division in the Sheriff’s Department. While in this assignment, he helped introduce a state of the art fingerprinting and photo imaging system for all jail operations that assisted in tracking violent offenders.
Two years later, realizing the need for a unit to attack the emerging gang and violent crime problem throughout the County, Sheriff Larry Carpenter created the Sheriff’s Crime Suppression Unit and tapped Dean to head this elite law enforcement unit. Under Dean’s direction, the Crime Suppression Unit was instrumental in saving lives, stopping rising gang behaviors and placing numerous violent gang members behind bars.
Specialized Study and Training in Advanced Law Enforcement Techniques: Recognizing the value of higher education, Dean had returned to his college studies in the early 90's earning his Bachelors Degree from the University of Redlands and later his Masters degree in Public Administration from California State University Northridge.
After completing his Masters Degree, Dean applied to the prestigious California Peace Officer Standards and Training “Command College”, a two-year development program focused on forward thinking for law enforcement executives. He is one of only three people currently in the department to complete this program, which also earned him a second Masters Degree in Management from California Polytechnic University, Pomona.
Hands-on Experience Managing the Sheriff's Department Budget: In 2001, Sheriff Bob Brooks appointed Dean as one of four Chief Deputies in the department. Needing someone with exceptional budgetary and organizational skills, Sheriff Brooks asked Dean to oversee the complex and challenging duties of the Support Services Division.
In this assignment Chief Dean’s responsibilities included the management of the department’s $170 million dollar budget, the recruitment and retention of the department’s 1500 employees, planning and implementation for all department training, management of the departments data, records and computer systems, oversight of the departments employee relations, internal affairs and disciplinary investigations and serving as the Sheriff’s representative with numerous other local, state and federal governmental agencies.
Overseeing Patrol Services Throughout Ventura County: Three years later Sheriff Brooks again turned to Chief Deputy Dean to take over the management of the Patrol Services Division. The Patrol Services Division provides all uniformed patrol and general investigative services for the Sheriff’s jurisdictions throughout the entire County, including all unincorporated areas and the police contract cities of Moorpark, Thousand Oaks, Camarillo, Fillmore and Ojai.
Patrol Services is the second largest division in the department with a staffing level of 425 personnel and a budget of $69 million dollars. During his tenure as the Patrol Services Chief Deputy, Dean initiated many innovative programs dealing with the delivery of services to the community involving children and young adults.
Geoff worked closely with community leaders, government officials and substance abuse experts to bring social host ordinances to the cities throughout Ventura County. These ordinances work to reduce underage and binge drinking by holding adults who provide alcohol to minors accountable for their actions. He has been nationally recognized as a speaker on the development and application of social host ordinances.
As steward of t
he taxpayers' money and resources, Chief Dean initiated COMSTAT, a management program encouraging operational accountability at all levels of the Patrol Services Division. While serving as the Patrol Services Division Chief Dean garnered extensive experience in the leadership and management of critical incidents, including the La Conchita mudslides, earthquakes, fires and the crash of Alaska Flight 261.
Running the County's Entire Jail and Detention System: In 2007 Sheriff Brooks reassigned Chief Dean to take over the Detention Services Division, the largest operation within the Sheriff’s Department. As the Detention Services Chief Deputy, Dean was responsible for over 560 employees, three bureau operations, multiple correctional facilities with an inmate population of over 1700 and a $66 million annual budget.
The detention systems under Dean’s command included temporary holding facilities, prisoner reception/booking facilities, maximum & medium security facilities, prisoner services bureaus (programs, medical, food services), facilities maintenance, court holding facilities and prisoner transportation services. In addition, the Detention Services Division provides all security and bailiff services to the Superior Courts in Ventura County as well as the Sheriff’s Civil processes of writ executions or other actions ordered by the Court.
Un-matched Preparation for the Job of Sheriff: Overall, Dean has commanded three of the four divisions of the Sheriff’s Department, interfaced and partnered with virtually every department in County Government and most cities in Ventura County and built a resume reflecting outstanding leadership, innovative community interaction and professionalism over his thirty-two years of honorable public service.
The Dean Family: C
ommander Dean has been married for 23 years to Marlene who is a math professor at Oxnard College facilitating the innovative Success Academy. Previously, Marlene taught math and was the math department chair at Moorpark High School for 18 years. The Deans have two children, Lindsey 21 and Andy 18. Lindsey is a college junior playing Division I softball on an academic and athletic scholarship. She was a high school all-state scholar athlete. Andy is a high school senior honor student who plays football. Geoff and his family are residents of Camarillo.