From Street Officer to Commanding Officer

Los Angeles:  Captain Blake Chow has been assigned to Central Area as the first Commanding Officer of Asian descent in Downtown Los Angeles, in the history of the LAPD.  He is also the highest ranking Chinese American officer in the Department.

Captain Chow has an interesting and varied life story.  He is a third generation Chinese American whose grandparents immigrated to America in the early 1900s from Southern China.  He grew up in San Jose California.

Chow’s father, an engineer by trade, died when he was only 17-years-old, but the legacy of a hard working family gave Chow a strong work ethic and determination to fulfill his dreams.  Chow’s mother was a teacher and is credited with instilling in him the drive to persevere and to succeed.

After graduating from college, Chow entered the work force, but found little satisfaction in his job.  Inspired by shows like “Hill Street Blues,” Chow joined the San Jose Police Department Reserves.  Finding that he enjoyed his work as a reserve more than he enjoyed his paying job, he began pursuing a career in law enforcement.

As a brand new Los Angeles Police Officer, Chow’s first tour of duty in Central Area began in 1991.  Over the next few years Chow worked various jobs including foot beats and special units that targeted violent crimes, property crimes, and narcotics.  It was during these early years that Chow realized that policing required community involvement to be effective.  During the course of the next ten years, Chow honed his community policing skills and continued to promote up the Chain of Command.

In May of 2003, Chow was promoted to Captain I and began his second tour of duty in Central Area as the Commanding Officer of Patrol Division.

In early 2009 Chow was promoted to Captain III, making him the Commanding Officer over Patrol, Detectives, Gangs, Community Relations, Safer Cities Initiative, Vice and Narcotics, and making it his third tour of duty in Central Area.

Chow said, “I have had the unique opportunity to see the Downtown area in many phases, from the civil unrest that marred many areas of our City, to reemergence, and to the renaissance that is now taking place.  I am committed to forging strong partnerships with the residents, businesses, and every entity that calls Downtown home.  I know that the key to making Downtown better and safer is a good relationship with our partners in the community.”