Lieutenant Lee Steitz began his law enforcement career in 1976 as a military policeman in the United States Army. After five years of service, he was honorably discharged as a Sergeant and was hired as a police officer with the City of Azusa, California. Lieutenant Steitz worked for seven years as a patrol officer, field training officer and K-9 handler until 1989 when he transfered to the Oceasnide Police Department.

He has worked in Oceanside as a patrol officer, field training officer, and as a detective in both the General Investigations Section and the Special Enforcement Section Gang Unit. Promoted to Sergeant in 1996, Lieutenant Steitz was assigned to patrol, neigborhood policing (NETWork), Field Operations support and the K-9 Unit. He promoted to Lieutenant in 2006 and worked as a patrol Watch Commander and K-9 Unit manager until January 2010 when he was assigned to Field Operations Support. He currently manages the Department's Neogborhood Policing Team, Resource Team, Traffic Services Unit, School Safety Enhancement Team, the Harbor Unit and the Field Operations Support staff.

Lieutenant Steitz is a POST Master Instructor and teaches extensively throughout the State. He has worked with POST on curriculum design and review committees for numerous existing and proposed training courses, is a facilitator for the Institute of Criminal Investigations (ICI) Instructor Update course, and serves as a mentor to students in that course as well as for candidates in the POST Instructor Development Institute (IDI) Level 3 (Advanced) and 4 (Master) courses. Lieutenant Steitz is the current President of the California Master Instructor Association and is a charter member of the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA). He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration and a Master of Science degree in Administration of Justice and Security.