Arvin has a new police chief, and he wasted no time getting to work on his first day Monday.
Cecilio Velasco, a bilingual law enforcement veteran with 12 years of experience in Kern County, stepped into the role with a mission to strengthen and reshape the Arvin Police Department.
"You know, just listening to them, and they're filling me in on a lot of things that need to be done. And I think that's a very positive sign that they want the department to head in the right direction," Velasco said.
One of his top priorities is building a stronger foundation for the department's future.
"Really assess what the department needs as far as, you know, resources, infrastructure, and the necessary tools that we need in order to ensure the safety of the community," Velasco said.
Velasco is also addressing one of the department's biggest challenges — officer retention — and says leadership, support, and morale will be key to keeping officers committed to Arvin.
"It's going to be the same strategy I've employed in order to retain police officers, I think that you have to create a good environment for the police officers, an environment where you're going to treat them with mutual respect and you're going to work on their development. I believe in that philosophy and also believe in ensuring that they're mentally well," Velasco said.
In previous reporting, Arvin residents shared their excitement about having a bilingual police chief leading the department. Velasco said he is grateful for the strong support and warm welcome from the community.
"That they feel comfortable and secure that they could come and talk to the chief of police and speak to them about their problems, whether it be a complaint against a police officer or a complaint in regard to something that is affecting them in their community," Velasco said.
Velasco said his focus now is earning the community's trust and building a department residents can stand behind with confidence and pride.
"To get started and to give them a police department that they're gonna be proud of. A police department that they know that are going to be there today. Serve them with good hearts and good minds, with good intentions. You know, that's the goal," Velasco said.
Velasco becomes Arvin's 4th police chief in the last five years. City leaders are hoping he can bring stability to a department that has faced ongoing challenges and frequent turnover.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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