Doug Chaffee, Chair of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, delivered a presentation to the Fullerton City Council on February 17, 2026, outlining the origins, progress, and future of a behavioral health-focused community policing program in the city.
Chaffee traced the program’s roots back nearly a decade to discussions about strengthening trust between law enforcement and residents. He noted that earlier efforts to implement such reforms were complicated by the aftermath of the 2011 murder of Kelly Thomas by police officers, which led to significant legal and financial consequences for the city, including a $7 million settlement. In the years that followed, national debates over policing — including calls to shift funding away from police departments toward social services — further shaped the conversation.
Chaffee said he came to believe that integrating social services directly into police departments, rather than separating them, could better address community needs. After joining the county, he explored partnerships through Orange County Behavioral Health and connected with CSU, Fullerton, to help develop a new model…