Rick Oules, 30-Year Veteran of California Law Enforcement, Passes Away

Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

A memorial service is scheduled on Wednesday, April 13, for Richard “Rick” Oules, former Director of the Division of Law Enforcement in the California Department of Justice.

Mr. Oules, 55, a resident of Granite Bay, passed away peacefully on April 4 surrounded by his family following a courageous battle with cancer.

He began his career in law enforcement more than 30 years ago. In 1977, he was hired as a deputy sheriff with the Merced County Sheriff’s Department. During his 10 years there, he served four years as a patrol deputy, four years as a detective assigned to narcotics, and two years as a patrol sergeant following his promotion to the rank of sergeant.

In 1987, he joined the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, where he served in the Fresno, San Jose, and Sacramento field offices. He was a narcotic task force commander in Fresno, San Joaquin, Santa Cruz, and Merced counties.

Mr. Oules was promoted through the ranks from special agent to his appointment in 2005 as the 12th Director of the Division of Law Enforcement by Attorney General Bill Lockyer. He was reappointed by Attorney General Jerry Brown in 2007.

He retired from the Department of Justice on March 1, 2010, and joined the United States Attorney’s Office in Sacramento as the Law Enforcement Coordinator for the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of California.

He was a member of the California Council on Criminal Justice as an appointee of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and was a past president of the 7,000 member California Narcotic Officers Association.

He received a bachelor’s degree from Saint Mary’s College of California, and was a graduate of the POST Supervisory Leadership Institute. He was a staff instructor for the Institute for Intergovernmental Research and a member of numerous law enforcement professional and fraternal associations.

He was born in Merced to Patsy Doughty and Roger Oules. He is survived by his wife Lisa; his daughter Crissy; his father and mother, Roger Oules and Patsy Doughty; his sisters Carol Wilson and Cindy Engelkamp; and his brothers Steve Oules, Jeff Oules and Matthew Powell.

A memorial service is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Wednesday, April 13, at Saint Ignatius Loyola Parish, 3235 Arden Way, Sacramento. In lieu of flowers, donations are preferred in Mr. Oules name to Saint Joseph’s Parish Charity, 32890 S. River Road, Clarksburg, California; Attention: Father Dan Madigan.

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