DR. CHRISTOPHER T. LANDAVAZO

Sergeant | Navy Veteran | Educator | CEO | Force Science Analyst

I am a 22-year veteran of law enforcement and a 16-year member of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, and I proudly serve as a patrol and Risk Management Sergeant at Century Station. I completed an Executive Master of Leadership (EML) at the University of Southern California (USC), and I hold a certificate in public management from the USC Price School of Public Policy. Additionally, I have earned a Doctorate of Education in Organizational Leadership from Brandman University.

Before becoming a law enforcement officer, I served eight years in the United States Navy as an Air Traffic Controller, achieving the rank of Petty Officer 1st Class. I played an active role in advocating for the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT). Additionally, I held the position of Staff Sergeant in the California State Military Reserves (CSMR), and I have served as an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Phoenix.

Family and home have always been the most important things to me. After 24 years of dedicated public service, I am bringing my passion, experience, and leadership to the table with a committed focus on working with leaders, community members, and our business community to enact common-sense solutions to law enforcement issues that face our Nation. My top priorities are public safety and implementing comprehensive strategies/policies to address the needs of our communities.

In 2019, I completed one of the most extensive research studies performed on police officer motivation titled, “The Muzzling of the Sheepdog: A Mixed-Methods Case Study of the Impacts of Media Reporting on Police Officer Performance.” I am currently working on implementing the implications for actions, which include creating: The News Media Ethics Police Academy (NMEPA), Critical-incident media training for executives, Public Safety Charter Schools, legislation for “Tactical Safety Zones,” and a National K-12 Constitutional Curricula. As I offer my leadership, service, and skills to build a safer nation, I hope to inspire and enlist your help.

I look forward to listening to your ideas and working with you to keep our Nation moving forward!

The Muzzling of the Sheepdog

-DR. LANDAVAZO ON MEDIA-

“NEWS MEDIA IS LIKE CARBS. THERE ARE GOOD CARBS AND BAD CARBS.

THE ONE THING WE CAN AGREE ON IS EVERYONE LOVES CARBS.”

"In my continued quest to fight for civil and human rights, peace and equality, I have earned a Masters of Executive Leadership (EML) from the University of Southern California (USC) and a Doctorate of Education in Organizational Leadership from Brandman University. Through my research on police officer motivation, I seek to develop programs to address the emergent needs of the United States Government to address the highly volatile issues of race, race relations, de-policing, media sensationalism, and public policy.

I will continue to accomplish these goals by partnering with existing professionals who are working on restorative justice initiatives that have lacked law enforcement involvement. Additionally, I will continue to consult law enforcement executives, policy advisors, elected officials, and community groups to abate the muzzling factors causing police officers to become less proactive and hesitant to ensure the safety of our communities. I will achieve this by focusing on research from the police officers' perspective, fostering accurate news portrayals versus infotainment, promoting policies that do not seek to legalize by legislation, and increasing law enforcement executive support."

- Dr. Christopher T. Landavazo

Putting Public Safety 1st

The most important issue facing our democracy is policing in America

Today, the fabric of the “Great Experiment” is being torn apart by perceived and real divides in racial equity and treatment of minorities by the American Criminal Justice System. Our ability to maintain a peaceful society is predicated on how we address these great divides in perceived and real racial inequalities. Solutions rest in our nation’s ability to partner academic knowledge and scientifically proven best policing practices. Practices void of news media sensationalism. Practices geared towards unmuzzling our nation’s police officers, who strongly agree both the “Ferguson Effect” and the effects of sensationalized “news” media reporting are affecting their motivation, safety, willingness to enforce laws, and causing them to operate in career survival mode.