Lt. Diane Goldstein (Ret)

Lt. Diane Goldstein (Ret.) was born in Mexico City and moved to the US as a child. She is a nationally recognized speaker, writer, and guest lecturer on criminal justice and drug policy reform.

 

In 1983, she joined the Redondo Beach Police Department in California as a patrol officer. She later served as a school resource officer, investigator, and sergeant in the Special Investigations Unit, and became the first female lieutenant in the department while serving as a Division Commander in the Traffic Bureau and Community Policing and Patrol Divisions before retiring in 2004. As a lieutenant, she additionally supervised the South Bay Platoon, peer counselors, and the Crisis Negotiation Team.

 

Lt. Goldstein is a recognized leader in the area of crisis negotiations and critical incident management. She helped develop national training guidelines and policies for use during critical incidents, including the California Police Officer Standards and Training guidelines for the Basic Crisis Negotiator Course, as well as the Recommended Course Topics and Crisis Negotiations Core Competencies for negotiators and SWAT.

 

Lt. Goldstein came to advocacy work through the tragic loss of a close family member who couldn't get the assistance he needed because the justice system is not equipped to provide people struggling with mental health and addiction the tools they need to be successful.

 

In 2021, Goldstein became the Executive Director of the Law Enforcement Action Partnership. She holds an MA in criminology, law, and society and a BA in legal studies.