Former Station Commander John Mutz was instrumental in guiding a courageous transformation of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). He led several LAPD commands out of their existing management view and status quo to help them become service-based organizations that prioritized community engagement, employee alignment, teamwork, a data-driven focus on stakeholder satisfaction, and a new leadership paradigm based on continuous improvement.

He is credited with restoring trust in the Wilshire area station, within both the community and ranks of his employees, following the 1992 civil uprising in LA. Much of his success is owed to rank-and-file employees who bought into the concept that everyone is a leader and accountable for providing extraordinary service. He has led numerous workshops on leadership, customer service, and process improvement.

In 1994–95, Wilshire Station was acknowledged by the California Council for Quality and Service for its excellent service and building trust in the community through quality service audits and a rigorous training schedule.

John has collaborated with leaders around the country to emphasize the importance of addressing issues around policing at the local level and of having efforts led by concerned community and police leaders.

He served with the LAPD for twenty-five years and worked a wide range of assignments. He has a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Southern California with a specialization in criminal justice.

He has been a member of the Immaculate Heart Community (formally the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary), a feminist, lay-Christian group focused on social justice. He credits his meeting the women of the Immaculate Heart Community as a turning point in his life, which inspired his unshakable commitment to seek the truth and challenge social systems that do not serve the greater good.

After retiring from the LAPD, John was assigned to assist the department in designing and implementing a pilot mediation program for Racial Profiling Cases that became an institutionalized process. It brings officers together with community members who have been racially profiled in order to work toward a deeper understanding and reconciliation.

For sixteen years, John was an executive coach with Right Management Associates (RMA), an international organization development firm specializing in executive presence, leading diverse work teams, and communication.

He is a sought-after speaker and thought partner dedicated to restoring trust in the police wherever it has been lost.

In 2016, John agreed to run for sheriff in Sonoma County, CA, after the killing of thirteen-year-old Andy Lopez by a sheriff’s deputy. He challenged local politics that remained out of touch with both Andy’s family and the community where he lived.

Although unsuccessful in unseating the incumbent, his campaign led to repeated breakthroughs in local accountability, transparency, and activism in Sonoma County. He believes the most effective change comes from local and state efforts to change the system.

John lives with his twin sons, Charlie and Jasper, son Ian, and his wife, Heather, in rural West Sonoma County. He is an active member of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Santa Rosa.