Thomas McLaughlin

Police Captain

Police Captain Thomas McLaughlin in Uniform With a Flag Behind Him

Captain Thomas McLaughlin is currently the Commander for the Criminal Investigations Division responsible for oversight of the Detective Bureau, Records Division, Property/Evidence Unit, Forensics Section, and the Jail. 

Captain McLaughlin joined the Santa Monica Police Department in March 2001. He graduated from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s Basic Police Academy and was sworn in as a Police Officer in September 2001, just a few days after 9/11. Over the course of his career, he has worked several patrol assignments and held special investigative positions as a detective and served in a Federal Taskforce. His supervisory positions include Patrol Sergeant, Field Training Program Sergeant, Robbery/Homicide Unit Sergeant, Internal Affairs Sergeant, Watch Commander-Police Lieutenant, Operations Division Executive Officer, and Criminal Investigation Division Lieutenant. He was promoted to Captain in February 2020. 

As a Captain, he has previously overseen the Criminal Investigations Division, Special Operations Division, and Operations Division. 

Captain McLaughlin has served as the Department’s Liaison to the City Attorney’s Office Civil Division, liaison coordinator to Risk Management for all Workers’ Compensation claims; and Instructor with the Santa Monica Institute (SMI) for Ethics and Leadership. As the Department’s Liaison to the City Attorney’s Office Civil Division, he worked together with our attorneys (and outside counsel) in preparing our defense when the City or Department found themselves as a named defendant in civil complaints. He has served as a Board Member with the Santa Monica Police Activities League, the Human Relations Council – Santa Monica Bay Area, and the Santa Monica YMCA.

Upon graduating from high school, Captain McLaughlin attended Cypress College, California State University Long Beach, and Chapman University. He has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a master’s degree in Criminal Justice. He has attended professional development programs including the Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute – Class 350, Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) Executive Development course, POST Management course, POST Civil Liability Course, the POST Internal Affairs Course, and PERF’s Senior Management in Policing program.