California State University, East Bay welcomes a new Chief of Police as the Spring semester commences.
Chief Mark Flores started his new position at the University Police Department on Jan. 3 after working for the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office for 26 years.
“I spent a lot of my career in Oakland, the last five years of my career prior to coming here I spent in Oakland,” Flores commented. “[which is] just another very diverse and rich environment which I think has prepared me a lot for coming here.”
Flores’ experience working with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, inmate services and community church youth groups has developed a policing style that focuses on personal connection and rehabilitation.
“I think early on from my experiences with the church youth group and my love for people, combining that with my personality was a great opportunity to prepare me for this role,” Flores said. “I never thought I would be doing what I am doing now, but it just made me much more well rounded as an officer.”
Flores has goals of including students and faculty in the policing and management of CSUEB’s campus. He believes that ASI and student faculty members can improve UPD and student relations through the desire to better the community they both exist in.
“I want to work a lot with the campus community including students, faculty and staff,” Flores said. “Hopefully that will give people a different of maybe not what all law enforcement is like, but of what it can be with future generations.”
Flores also enjoys DJing under his stage name “DJ-MFLO” and hopes to engage students through music during events on campus. He hopes that being active on campus outside of his police uniform and office will help develop his relationship with students and faculty.
“I want to come up with something like ‘Coffee with the Chief’ where I can play music requests and discuss with them ‘why do you like that song?’” Flores stated. “That way I can engage students through music.”
Chief Flores will continue to teach at the Police Academy while serving as Chief of Police for CSUEB. He hopes his relationship with the campus will help keep the campus safe and comfortable for students.
“I want us to collaborate together inclusively with the same goal in mind of providing a safe campus, a comfortable working environment, and a transparent and fun police force,” Flores said. “The police department is part of the university, it isn’t separate, and the students are also part of the university, so that makes us all by design one unique, inclusive community.”