Canyon Lake to launch city police department; leaders cite local control, new chief and related public-safety investments

Canyon Lake Mayor Mark Terry and city officials said the city will launch its own police department, naming Jim Rells as the incoming chief and setting a target to begin operations by late August 2026.

City Manager Aaron Brown and Mayor Pro Tem Casey Castillo said the move is intended to give Canyon Lake local control over staffing, equipment and grant applications. "We will set staffing levels that fit the needs of Canyon Lake, choose equipment on our own timeline, and remove vendor overhead baked into contract models," Terry said.

The announcement came as officials described a broader public-safety program that includes investments made since the city created its own fire agency. Council member Dale Welty said creating a local fire department “saved nearly a million dollars from the general fund compared to other Riverside fire departments,” and officials said that experience informed…