Which actor portrayed Deputy Chief Christian Garland on SVU?

Demore Barnes portrayed Deputy Chief Christian Garland on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Garland joined the series during season 21 as a new senior leader for the Special Victims Unit. The character was presented as intelligent and analytical, bringing a management perspective to a squad often defined by intense personalities and difficult cases. Barnes first appeared in a recurring role before becoming a main cast member.

Barnes was promoted to the main cast for season 22, when Garland continued as deputy chief. His SVU tenure ran from 2019 to 2022 and covered 25 episodes. The role made Barnes recognizable to television audiences after earlier appearances in The Unit, 12 Monkeys, American Gods, and Supernatural.

Garland is easy to confuse with other SVU authority figures because the series has featured many captains, chiefs, and commanding officers. He is not a detective or assistant district attorney; his position is Deputy Chief, placing him in the NYPD leadership structure above the squad’s investigators.