Irvine police swear in first female deputy chief

The Irvine Police Department swore in its first female deputy chief Wednesday.

The promotion makes Julia Engen, a 23-year law enforcement veteran, the highest-ranking woman in the department’s history, Irvine police said.

According to a biography provided by police, Engen has had a decorated career in Irvine, where she arrived in 1994 after starting her law enforcement career at the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

She was promoted to sergeant in 2003 and worked throughout the Irvine department, including crime scene investigations, youth services and traffic.

In 2010, she became a lieutenant and began working as the department’s spokeswoman.

Engen was promoted to commander in 2014, overseeing police services in the 21-square-mile Crossroads area of Irvine.

She has three times received the Irvine department’s Meritorious Service Award and twice been named Employee of the Quarter. She also has received outside honors, such as the Women Making a Difference award from former state Sen. Lou Correa.

Engen has a master’s degree in public administration from Cal State Long Beach and a bachelor’s in that field from the University of La Verne.