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Montebello Police roll out Park Services Bureau with 7‑day coverage and community-focused staff
Summary
Chief Lopez announced a new Park Services Bureau comprised of a lieutenant, sergeant, sworn officers, community service officers and cadets to provide a daily safety presence in parks; staff completed training and plan full implementation by July 1.
Montebello Police Chief Lopez presented the department’s new Park Services Bureau at Wednesday’s council meeting, saying the unit will provide a seven‑day presence aimed at increasing safety and community engagement in city parks.
The bureau will be led by a police lieutenant and include a sergeant, two sworn officers and a cadre of seven full‑ and part‑time community service officers and police cadets. The department said personnel completed training in medical response, de‑escalation, identifying and reporting criminal activity, and supporting people with mental health or housing needs.
“Rather than rolling the unit out and train them as we went, police cadets and our community service officers have received training in medical emergencies, missing persons, fires, identifying and reporting criminal activity,” Chief Lopez said, describing a deliberate rollout that included a “soft opening” on Memorial Day to test deployment strategies.
The bureau will coordinate with Parks & Recreation, the fire department’s outreach units and transit staff to address safety in parks and along routes to parks, Chief Lopez said. He emphasized that the unit is designed to enhance services and not to reduce existing patrol resources.
Uniforms will distinguish staff: sworns will wear standard police uniforms, cadets will wear a light blue shirt, and community service officers will wear gray polos labeled “Community Service Officers” to encourage a softer engagement approach.
Councilmembers praised the program and suggested added youth outreach events to build trust between officers and children. The chief said full implementation is expected on or before July 1, and staff will conduct annual reviews of hours, deployment and effectiveness.
