- About Us
- Programs
- Resources
- Career Opps
- Assessors
- Awards
- News
- Forums
Mr. Joseph A. Farrow
Mr. Joseph A. Farrow
Commissioner
California Highway Patrol
Joseph A. Farrow is Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol, the first Japanese-American appointed to lead the agency in its 81 year history. Commissioner Farrow commands more than 7,800 uniformed, 3,600 non-uniformed, 700 senior volunteers, and 200 Explorer personnel. He served as a police officer with the Pacific Grove (CA) Police Department before he entered the CHP Academy in 1979. Commissioner Farrow has held every rank from cadet to Commissioner at the California Highway Patrol. He is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the California Peace Officers’ Association, and the National Asian Peace Officers’ Association. Commissioner Farrow earned a Bachelor's degree in criminal justice from California State University, Sacramento and a Master’s degree in executive leadership from San Diego State University. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the FBI National Executive Institute. He graduated from the Peace Officer Standards and Training Law Enforcement Command College and completed the University of California, Davis, Graduate School of Management’s Executive Leadership Consortium. The California Highway Patrol has been CALEA Law Enforcement Accredited since November 2010 and is in self-assessment in the Public Safety Training Academy Accreditation Program.




