Commander Jesus Deanda
Commander Jesus Deanda began his law enforcement journey at an early age, driven by a lifelong desire to serve his community. At 15, he joined a Police Explorer program in California. Three years later, after relocating to Arizona, he continued that path by joining the Chandler Police Department as a member of its inaugural Volunteers in Policing program. Serving as a Motor Assist volunteer, he gained foundational experience in police response and community service.
Commander Deanda began his professional law enforcement career with the Chandler Police Department as a detention officer, later serving as a police dispatcher. In January 1999, he was sworn in as a police officer. He served two years in Patrol before being assigned to the Narcotics Unit, where he worked for five years.
In 2006, Commander Deanda played a key role in launching the department’s Criminal Apprehension Unit (CAU), a specialized team focused on locating and apprehending violent felony offenders in Chandler. Following his work with CAU, he was assigned to the U.S. Marshals Task Force, where he served for five years.
In 2013, Commander Deanda was promoted to Sergeant and returned to Patrol before transferring to the Special Investigations Section. Over the next eight years, he supervised highly specialized units, including Narcotics and Gangs. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 2022 and served as a Watch Commander before returning to Special Investigations, where he oversaw the Narcotics, Gangs, Criminal Apprehension Unit (CAU), Threat Mitigation and Human Exploitation and Trafficking (HEAT) units.
Commander Deanda was promoted to Commander in January 2026.
Throughout his career, Commander Deanda has remained steadfast in his commitment to removing violent offenders from the community and enhancing public safety. A respected mentor and leader, he is guided by the principle of excellence, perseverance, and service, believing in doing the job well while overcoming obstacles with determination and integrity.
Commander Deanda’s distinguished service has earned him numerous awards, including two Medals of Honor, a Medal of Valor, Officer of the Year, and Police Supervisor of the Year. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Columbia Southern University and serves as an active board member of ICAN, a nonprofit organization providing free out-of-school programming for youth in East Valley communities.