Sacramento State alumnus Michael Brown is the new top cop of the California Highway Patrol.

Hand picked by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Brown extended his lengthy resume in law enforcement and community service by way of his Sept. 15 appointment as the new commissioner of the CHP.

“I am honored Gov. Schwarzenegger has asked me to lead the Highway Patrol,” Brown said. “I feel that with this responsibility, the bar has been raised and that it is going to be challenging to confront the issues ahead.”

Brown began his career with the CHP more than 27 years ago, but his interest in law enforcement began when he received his first baccalaureate degree in criminal justice at Sac State.

“My learning process to become what I am today really started when I was at Sac State,” Brown said. “It’s also been fun to watch Sac State grow over the years and reflect back on what I did.”

Brown said the university taught him a lot of life-skills that essentially helped shape his future.

“It is important for the students of Sacramento State to experience as much as they can,” Brown said. “Going to college starts the learning process for students and teaches them the importance about being independent and growing on their own terms.”

Since 1977, Brown has worked in many different positions within the CHP.

After working through the rank of captain, in 1991 he became commander in charge of all the operations in and around the San Diego area. From 1992 to 1995 he was the commander of special representatives where he coordinated all of the CHP’s legislative activities across the state.

Brown has also worked on anti-terrorism task forces in the FBI, Los Angeles County and Department of Homeland Security. In 2000 he was appointed the chief for the southern division, responsible for 1,700 workers and a $118 million budget.

Amidst all the positions he has garnered over the years, Brown’s experience also includes teaching as a part-time professor in the criminal justice department at Sac State.

“Would I ever do it again? Never say, ‘never,'” Brown said in response to teaching. “I really enjoyed it, and it was refreshing for me to hear the thoughts and ideas presented from students in class.”

Brown is currently bringing himself up to date with the rest of his staff. He said though he is anxious to get through this introductory period, he realizes its importance because of the many the challenging issues the CHP regularly faces.

“There is no urban area in the state that is not affected by issues of traffic safety,” Brown said. “There are over 4,000 traffic-related deaths a year in California, and to me that is no different than if those deaths came from the barrel of a gun.”

Brown, a Republican, said that he agrees with Schwarzenegger’s policy to reduce workers’ compensation. He said that because the CHP is saving money on workers’ compensation, it is now able to make room for new jobs.

He said this is a tough decision, but sacrificing workers’ compensation in exchange for more officers patrolling California’s highways is done to reduce the amount of traffic-related deaths and increase the overall safety of the highways.

“The most difficult thing about my job is those times when you have to attend a fallen officer’s funeral,” Brown said. “Every time we lose somebody, it’s like losing a member of your family.”

On Brown’s inauguration day, Schwarzenegger lauded the Sac State alumnus for his work with the CHP and predicted success in Brown’s future endeavors.

“Mike is a highly respected law enforcement officer with the vision to lead one of the most prestigious law enforcement organization in the world,” Schwarzenegger said at the inauguration. “He is a person of great integrity, and I am confident that he will provide excellent leadership and direction to the California Highway Patrol.”

Brown also has a master’s in management from California State Polytechnic University, a master’s in criminal justice from California State University, Los Angeles, and additional training through the FBI Command College.