July 23, 2026
Dear Members of the UC Santa Barbara Community,
I am pleased to join Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services Garry Mac Pherson in announcing the appointment of Matthew Bly as our new UCPD Chief of Police.
Throughout his career, Matt has demonstrated a commitment to enhancing campus safety, building community, and working to ensure that UC Santa Barbara is a living, learning, and working environment where our students, faculty, staff, and visitors can thrive and feel welcomed. He is a compassionate and dedicated leader who believes in public service and has made building relationships and partnering with organizations across campus a priority.
Matt has served as Interim Chief of Police since July 2025. He is a UC Santa Barbara alumnus who has a deep understanding of, and dedication to, our campus community. He joined the UCPD in 2006 as an officer in the Field Operations Division, after graduating with a B.A. in History. He served as a Field Training Officer and Sergeant, and was named Lieutenant in 2021. During his tenure as Lieutenant, Bly represented UCPD on UC Santa Barbara’s multidisciplinary Student Behavioral Intervention Team and Threat Management Team, served as Incident Commander for large-scale campus events, was the UCPD liaison to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Isla Vista Foot Patrol, and served as UCPD’s commander on the Systemwide Response Team (SRT).
Matt has earned numerous awards and citations throughout his outstanding career with UCPD, including the H. Thomas Guerry Award for Superior Performance, the Chief MacPherson Jr. Police Officer of the Year Award, and the UCPD Valor Award. He earned a Public Safety Meritorious Service Citation from the UCPD and Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office for his bravery and heroism as a first responder to the 2014 Isla Vista tragedy.
He was a part of the UCPD team that worked toward achieving the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA) accreditation last year. This prestigious award is granted to only ten percent of university police agencies nationwide, and fewer than 100 agencies have earned this distinctive recognition overall.
Matt, who is also a dedicated husband and parent, exemplifies the mission of the UCPD, to serve and protect our community with accountability, professionalism, and respect.
I extend my gratitude to Vice Chancellor Mac Pherson and Professor Geoffrey Raymond, the co-chairs of our search advisory committee, and to each of the committee members for their contributions and counsel. I also thank our Academic Senate and all the members of our campus community who provided valuable input and advice during the search process.
Please join me in congratulating Chief Bly on his new leadership role at UCPD.
Sincerely,
Dennis Assanis, Chancellor
Chief of Police Search Advisory Committee
Garry Mac Pherson, Co-Chair; Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services
Geoffrey Raymond, Co-Chair; Professor of Sociology and Linguistics; Chair of Police Accountability Board
Ariana Alvarez, Director and Title IX Officer, Title VI Officer & Local Implementation Officer, Office of Title IX Compliance and Discrimination and Harassment Prevention
Sarah Bacon, Graduate Student Association Vice President of External Affairs
Lex Brand, Assistant Director of Student Support and Advocacy, Resource Center for Sexual & Gender Diversity
Kim Equinoa, Senior Associate Dean of Student Life
E.J. Raad, Associated Students President
Andy Satomi, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Academic Technology and Space Management, Academic Affairs
Ram Seshadri, Professor of Materials and Chemistry & Biochemistry, Director of Materials Research Laboratory