The City of Novato is pleased to announce the selection of Jim Naugle as Novato’s next Chief of Police. Chief Naugle will be Novato’s 13th Chief of Police. 

Born and raised in Petaluma, Chief Naugle began his career with the Novato Police Department in 1998, where he worked patrol and was a Defensive Tactics Instructor, DARE instructor, and Special Response Team member. Both Novato and Chief Naugle are excited for him to return home as Chief.

Beginning in 2001 until present day, Chief Naugle has worked for the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office where he served as a Patrol Deputy, Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, and is currently 2nd in command as the Assistant Sheriff where he oversees the Law Enforcement Division of the Sheriff’s Office.

During his 22 years at the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, Chief Naugle’s service spanned nearly every aspect of policing from defensive tactics to internal affairs, with a theme of commitment to community policing weaved throughout his entire career. Jim approaches his work as a coach after decades spent coaching his teams at the Sheriff’s Office as well as kids on his sports teams. He believes in leading by example and preparing your replacement at every level of policing. After getting to know the community, Chief Naugle plans to set an achievable and inspirational vision for the department.

“Jim’s proven record of accomplishment and leadership with Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office makes him an excellent match for the Novato Police Department and for our community,” said City Manager Adam McGill. “His depth of knowledge, measured style and commitment to transparency will help ensure we maintain the high level of public safety standards that our community has come to expect.”

Chief Naugle graduated from the University of Davis where he obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental Biology and Management. For three years, Chief Naugle served as an Advisory Board Member for The Salvation Army and many other volunteer endeavors in Sonoma County.

“I feel so fortunate to return to Novato after 22 years to lead the outstanding team of law enforcement professionals that make up our department” said Chief Naugle. “As your Chief, I’m excited to get to know this community and look forward to finding opportunities to build partnerships that’ll enable our police team to provide the best possible public safety service. More than partnerships, I want to reach further into the community to those who don’t think about the police department on a daily basis and ensure we’re meeting the expectations of all our community members.” 

Jim and his wife, Kim, have four sons, three attending college and one in high school, who they are very proud of. In his spare time, Naugle enjoys coaching high school sports in Petaluma and spending time with his family.

Chief Naugle begins work on October 23, 2023, at an annual salary of $212,882. 

A Swearing-In Ceremony where our community will have the opportunity to meet our new Chief is tentatively scheduled for November 14, 2023, at 5pm with more details to follow.