Rancho Santa Margarita Police Services has a new chief: Capt. Dwayne Chapple.

Chapple took the helm as police chief on March 7, following the retirement of Capt. Mihaela Kennedy.

“I am deeply blessed and honored to have the opportunity to serve as chief of Police Services for Rancho Santa Margarita,” Chapple said in a statement. “I am grateful for the trust and support I received from city officials and OC Sheriff leadership as I embark on this new path.”

The SUNY Potsdam alumnus also serves as an associate instructor at Santa Ana College’s Criminal Justice Academy.

He joined the Orange County Sheriff’s Department in 2009, assigned to the Central Men’s Jail before becoming a member of the Jail Compliance and Training Team, where he helped develop policies and trainings for staff, the city said in a news release. He became an investigator in 2018, working in auto theft and general investigations.

More recently, as a lieutenant, Chapple managed operations and personnel at the James A. Musick Facility, which houses minimum- and medium-security incarcerated people in south Orange County, the city said.

“I stand committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity, service and community engagement that the city deserves,” said Chapple.

Rancho Santa Margarita contracts with the county Sheriff’s Department for its police services, the captain assigned serving as the city’s police chief. Services include accident analysis and investigation, general and special investigations, parking enforcement, patrol and traffic enforcement.

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