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Chief of Police, Dan Watson
Chief Dan Watson assumed command of the Mammoth Lakes Police Department on July 5, 2010. Chief Watson began his career in 1973 when he joined the Los Angeles Police Department where he spent more than 28 years, rising to the rank of Police Commander. His assignments included Patrol, Training Division as an instructor, Vice, Planning and Research, Traffic Coordination where he managed the Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) program, Personnel and Emergency Operations. Chief Watson spent the final four years with the LAPD as the Department Ombuds Officer where he managed an alternative dispute resolution program which utilized mediation to resolve conflicts within the Department.
Chief Watson retired from the LAPD in January 2002 to become the Police Chief in South Pasadena, a suburb of Los Angeles that is home to 25,000 residents. The South Pasadena Police Department has a total of 51 employees (36 sworn) and a budget of about $7 million. During his tenure, South Pasadena experienced a 21% drop in crime and several new programs were implemented. Chief Watson served as South Pasadena’s chief for 8 ½ years, leaving to become Chief in Mammoth Lakes.
Chief Watson has a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Southern California. He is a graduate of the P.O.S.T. Command College, Class 19.
Chief Watson has been a law enforcement trainer since 1977 specializing in leadership and ethics. Working as a consultant for the U.S. Department of Justice, Chief Watson has taught law enforcement officers in Hungary, Bulgaria, Moldova, South Africa, and the Philippines. He continues to teach Ethics for the California Police Chiefs Association.
Chief Watson is a member of many professional organizations, and has served as a board member of the California Peace Officers Memorial Foundation, Peace Officers Association of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles Police Historical Society, Desert Refuge for Police Officers, and Goodwill Industries of Southern California. He is past president of the Rotary Club of South Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley Police Chiefs Association.
Chief Watson is married to Kathy and he has two adult children and two granddaughters.
Lieutenant, John Mair
Lieutenant John Mair started his Law Enforcement career with the Hawthorne Police Department in 1984, where he worked a variety of assignments including Patrol, Cannine Unit, Metro-Gang Unit as well as being a member of the SWAT Team. Lieutenant Mair lateraled to the Huntingtion Beach Police Department where he worked positions in Patrol, Downtown Footbeat and Beach Patrol. He was later assigned to the training unit where he was a firearms instructor and rangemaster, as well as being a member of the SWAT Entry Team. Lieutenant Mair moved to the Mammoth Lakes Police Department in 1996 and has worked Patrol, FTO, Canine Handler and Patrol Sergeant.
Sergeant, Marc Moscowitz
Sergeant Moscowitz moved to Mammoth Lakes from Southern California with his wife in 1986 and has been a part of the Mammoth Lakes Police Department since 1991.He worked for the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area as a Ski Patrolman and for the United States Forest Service as a Fire Prevention Officer and Dispersed Area Manager and a Captain for the Mammoth Lakes Fire Department. Sergeant Moscowitz has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from U.C.L.A. He went to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s academy where he graduated at the top of his class. He has written several successfully funded grants and has worked as an Adjunct College Instructor for PC 832 and Reserve Academies specializing in Search and Seizure, Laws of Evidence and Laws of Arrest. Sergeant Moscowitz has worked as a Field Training Officer, Detective, Bicycle Officer, Narcotics Agent and Narcotics K-9 Handler. His K-9, ‘Noeska’ set local records for seizures and was a medal winner at the Police Olympics. He has received the MLPD Officer of the Year, Chief’s Outstanding Performance Award, MLPD Lifesaving Award, MLPD Top Gun and Top Rifle awards, MLFD Firefighter of the Year, is a past president of the MLPD Peace Officer’s Association and was Baker to Vegas Co-Captain. Sergeant Moscowitz currently is a Patrol Sergeant, with collateral duties as Sexual Assault/Family Violence Investigator, Field Training Coordinator, Defensive Tactics Instructor and Recruiter/Background Investigator. He can also be seen out and about working Mounted Patrol with his horse, ‘Flammable’.
Sergeant, Eric Hugelman
Sergeant Eric Hugelman moved to Mammoth Lakes in 1982. He joined the Mammoth Lakes Police Department in 1988 as a Reserve Officer. In 1990 he put himself through the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Academy to further pursue a full time career in law enforcement. Eric was sworn in full time with the Mammoth Lakes Police Department in 1991. During his tenure with MLPD he has held numerous positions and collateral assignments. He has instructed Range Training, Weaponless Defense, Arrest and Control, Side Handle and Straight Baton and had specialized weapons training. He promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 2006 and has been the Department Detective, School Resource/DARE Officer, Range Master, Field Training Coordinator and currently is the departments Training Manager.
Eric enjoys all aspects of living in the Eastern Sierra and started the Mountain Bike Patrol Program for MLPD with Sergeant Moscowitz. He has competed in the California Fire & Police Winter Olympics since his start with MLPD and helped start the local Biathlon program. He has participated in the Baker to Vegas Relay with the Eastern Sierra Lawmen since 2000.
Sergeant Hugelman has received Chief’s Award for Outstanding Performance on multiple occasions and is the recipient of three Officers of the Year Awards by his peers. Eric takes pride in being a top marksman in both pistol and rifle and has received eight Top Gun Awards. He has held the position of President for the Mammoth Lakes Police Officers Association and is currently the Executive Vice President. Eric’s paradigm is “Success is born from helping others to succeed”.
Sergeant, Rick Moberly
Sergeant Moberly began his law enforcement career in 2004 as a reserve police officer after working over ten years in the construction industry throughout Northern Nevada and California. In 2005, he was hired by the San Diego Police Department and graduated from the 63rd San Diego Regional Training Academy. After the academy, Sergeant Moberly was permanently assigned as a patrol officer in the Southeastern Division of San Diego. In 2007, Sergeant Moberly transferred to the Mammoth Lakes Police Department to serve as a patrol officer. In 2009, Sergeant Moberly was assigned to the Mono County Narcotics Enforcement Team (MONET) as a narcotics detective. Sergeant Moberly is a graduate of the Robert Presley Institute of Criminal Investigations, with an emphasis in narcotics investigations. Sergeant Moberly returned to patrol in 2012 and became a patrol sergeant in 2013. Moberly is also a POST certified firearms instructor and is the department’s range master. He holds a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering from the University of Nevada, Reno.