Dean Thomas moved to San Diego in 1993, when he was stationed here in the U.S. Navy. While serving in the military, he completed his degree in the administration of criminal justice. Dean joined the San Diego Police Department in 1997 and was in the 38th Regional Academy. He worked patrol at Western Division, Eastern Division and Mid-City Division.
While at Mid-City Division, Dean served as a community relations officer and long-term acting sergeant until getting promoted to sergeant in 2011. He transferred to the Vice Unit in 2014 as a detective sergeant and then to Central Division Investigations in 2015. Dean is still currently assigned to Central Division and supervises the Central Night Investigations Team.
Dean also supervises the San Diego Police Honor Guard and has been a member of the team since 2001.
In 2023, Dean was elected as a director on the POA Board. His term expires in 2026. He is currently the chair of the Labor Management Committee and the Armed Services Committee. Dean also takes an active role with the Memorial and Communications Committees.
