Oxnard Police Department welcomes first woman commander

The Oxnard Police Department announced on Friday the selection of their new commander Denise Shadinger.

The announcement was first made to city councilmembers at the City Council meeting on Tuesday, May 9. Shadinger is a 21-year veteran with the Oxnard Police Department and is making history as the first woman Commander in the department.

Shadinger was also the first woman in the police department to be selected as a K-9 handler and later a K-9 coordinator.

She has also served as a field training officer, detective of narcotics, and the family protection unit, among many other roles.

Shadinger will be serving the south Oxnard community.

Shadinger, who attended both Haycox Elementary School and Hueneme High School, said “I am honored to be selected for this position and to have the opportunity to work in a part of the City where I spent the majority of my childhood. The South District Neighborhood Policing Team has been working diligently to address quality of life issues and I plan to expand those efforts.”

Shadinger is a graduate from Ventura College with an Associates of Science degree in Criminal Justice, graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Kaplan University and earned a Master of Arts degree in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University.