The Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s Department has quietly appointed a new leader at the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station.
Patrick Davoren, a 31-year veteran of Los Angeles County law enforcement, took the reins as captain at Malibu/Lost Hills on Sunday, March 25.
The former lieutenant took over permanently for Lt. Matthew Squire, who had served as acting captain since January when former Capt. Joseph Stephen was removed from the Malibu/Lost Hills Station amid sexual misconduct allegations.
Davoren, 53, will oversee 165 Sheriff ’s Department personnel serving Malibu and seven other municipalities, including the cities of Calabasas, Hidden Hills and Agoura Hills, and the unincorporated communities of Topanga, West Hills, Chatsworth Lake Manor and Malibou Lake.
Most recently, Davoren served as a lieutenant in detective division headquarters in Monterey Park.
A native of West Covina in the San Gabriel Valley, Davoren has worked in and out of Malibu since he first joined the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s Department in 1981 at the age of 20. He got his start in law enforcement as a detective’s assistant.
“I wasn’t old enough to be in the sheriff ’s academy,” Davoren said. “So in 1981 I was assigned to the Malibu [Sheriff ’s] Station when it was open in the Civic Center.”
In the 1980s, Davoren worked as a patrol deputy in West Hollywood and L ynwood. He spent 10 years with the LASD’s SWAT team from 1990-2000. He worked in Malibu as a narcotics detective and lieutenant from 2000 to 2002. Between 2002 and 2013 he served with custody operations (jail), as a narcotics lieutenant, on patrol in Compton and then as a lieutenant in Monterey Park.
Married and a father to seven children (four boys and three girls), the 53-year-old has lived in the Conejo Valley for 25 years but tries to keep close to Malibu.
“The wife and kids love to go to Zuma [Beach] during the summertime,” Davoren said.
Before his promotion from L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca, Davoren went through several rounds of interviews, including a panel interview with city managers from cities that contract with the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff ’s station for public safety. The group of city managers interviewed five candidates for the job before recommending Davoren.
Malibu City Manager Jim Thorsen praised his interpersonal skills.
“He’s got a wide breadth of experience in the L.A. County Sheriff ’s Dept. and his personal skills are one of his best attributes,” Thorsen said. “His personality and ability to talk to individuals is impressive.”
In a statement to The Malibu Times, Baca echoed Thorsen’s opinion, saying Davoren would do a “fine job.”
“Pat Davoren is an example of the finest we have in the Sheriff ’s Department,” Baca said. “Having worked in the area before, Captain Davoren is familiar with the jurisdiction and has a close affinity to the communities.”
Among several key priorities, Davoren plans to keep Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) safety near the top of his list.
“I know there are big issues with PCH,” Davoren said. “One of the things we’re looking at is, are we using the deputies visibly enough on PCH for safety patrols?”
As far as the station’s relationship with its constituents, Davoren said he wants to encourage more transparency from the Malibu/Lost Hills staff.
“I’m going to instill a culture of respect,” Davoren said. “Whatever the residents need, they’re going to get. We’re going to be quicker with response times. I want [deputies] to be professional, nice and be good at listening to public concerns.”
Davoren’s appointment comes after the station’s last captain, Stephen, was removed from his post in January amid allegations of sexual misconduct. The allegations were made by a former deputy who worked with Stephen prior to his stint as the Malibu/Lost Hills captain.
Davoren believes the investigation should not serve as a distraction at the Malibu/Lost Hills station.
“We just have to move forward,” he said. “The wheels of justice will take care of that one way or another.”
Stephen remains on paid leave while the department continues investigating the allegations, Sheriff ’s spokesman Steve Whitmore said.