Aaron Dunsing

Lieutenant
Investigations Division

Aaron Dunsing

Lieutenant
Investigations Division

Lieutenant Aaron Dunsing started his career with the Sheriff’s Office on June 29th, 1998, as a part-time dispatcher assigned to Jail Central Control. While working part-time with the Sheriff’s Office, he attended San Joaquin County Delta College and earned an AA Degree in Administration of Justice.

In October 2000, Lieutenant Dunsing was hired by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office as a Deputy Trainee. He attended their rigorous seven-month basic academy. After completing the academy, he was sworn in as a Deputy Sheriff and assigned to their Custody Division.

In 2001, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office started hiring deputies again after a ten-year hiring freeze. Lieutenant Dunsing immediately applied. In November 2001, he was hired as a deputy and returned home to our Office, where he was assigned to the Patrol Division.

In 2005, Lieutenant Dunsing became a Field Training Officer, where he trained new deputies. In addition to being a Field Training Officer, he became the Field Training Officer Coordinator, facilitating the Patrol Orientation Courses and ensuring the new deputies were prepared to start the Field Training Program.

In June 2009, Lieutenant Dunsing was transferred to the Investigation’s Division assigned to the Person’s Unit as a Gang Investigator. Aaron was certified as a gang expert and testified dozens of times as a gang expert in State Court. He handled numerous gang investigations, which led to the convictions of a significant amount of violent gang members.

In July 2012, Lieutenant Dunsing was transferred back to the Patrol Division and assigned to the San Joaquin County Multi-Agency Gang Task Force. While assigned to the gang task force, he worked with the Stockton Police Department’s Gang Violence Suppression Unit and the Community Response Team.

In May 2014, Lieutenant Dunsing was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. In his almost nine years as a sergeant, he was assigned to the Patrol Division, where he supervised a patrol team; the Investigations Division, where he supervised the Property Unit, Evidence Room, and Technical Services; and the Agricultural, Gangs, Narcotics, Enforcement Team (A.G.N.E.T.), where he supervised the Gang, Vice, and Agricultural Detectives.

Lieutenant Dunsing’s most humbling assignment has been being a member of the Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard and Color Guard. He has been a member of the Honor Guard since May 9th, 2002, and is the longest-standing member since the team was created. In December 2022, he was elected to be an Advisor on the California Peace Officer’s Memorial Foundation Committee.

For the better part of 17 years, Lieutenant Dunsing was a member of the Sheriff’s Office S.W.A.T. Team. As an operator, he was a breacher and a sniper. When he was promoted to Sergeant, he stayed on the SWAT team as a team leader. He also became the Sniper Team Leader. In 2016, he took the position of SWAT Commander. He was the assistant Critical Response Team Commander for the last two years of his SWAT career. He was the first and only Sergeant to hold this position. Prior to him, it had always been a Lieutenant’s position.

Throughout Lieutenant Dunsing’s law enforcement career, he has received numerous letters of accommodation and/or appreciation from both the Sheriff’s Office Administration and members of the community. In 2014, the Stockton Rotary Club awarded him Officer of the Year.

Lieutenant Dunsing has always had a passion for teaching and mentoring. Early on in his career, he became a defensive Tactics Instructor. He certified as a Weaponless Defense Instructor, an Impact Weapons Instructor, and a Tactical Communications Instructor. For 18 years, he taught defensive tactics to both new and senior deputies. He is also a certified Firearms and Submachine Gun Instructor. He has attended the Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced Academy Certification Instructor Courses. Most recently, he was a part-time teacher for Saint Mary’s High School, where he taught the Administration of Justice course.

In March 2023, Lieutenant Dunsing was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and assigned to the Patrol division as a Watch Commander. He was also one of the Lieutenants assigned to oversee the Field Training Program. In April 2024, he was transferred back to the Special Services Division as the A.G.N.E.T. Commander.

Aaron was born and raised in San Joaquin County, where he currently lives with his family.