Porterville police lieutenant introduces himself as animal-services on-the-ground contact; captain remains division commander

Lieutenant Bruce Sokloff of the Porterville Police Department told the commission he is rotating to a day shift and that animal-services duties are among his collateral assignments. Sokloff said he will make the shelter visits and attend commission meetings as the department’s visible on-the-ground contact, and that he reports to Captain Ron Moore, the division commander.

Why it matters: Commissioners asked for clarity about who supervises the shelter so the public and commission know whom to contact about operational and enforcement matters. Sokloff said he may rotate again on Oct. 1 but has asked to remain on schools and animal-control projects to complete ongoing work.

Details from the meeting Sokloff explained the police department rotates lieutenants among shifts and that rotation can change every three months. He told commissioners: “I will be the boots on the ground that actually makes the visits to the shelter that comes to the commission meetings, and then I report back to him,” referring to Captain Moore. Commissioners asked that staff maintain a stable contact; the commission was advised to use Stephanie (staff) as a constant point of contact for routine requests.

Ending The commission noted the staffing change and asked that contact information for the department liaison be made available to the commission and public in future materials.