Sheriff introduces new deputies for Palm Desert; YMCA presents child-care reach and funding

Riverside County Sheriff's Lieutenant Porras appeared at the Sept. 9 Palm Desert City Council meeting to introduce a cohort of newly sworn deputies assigned to the Palm Desert area. Porras described the deputies' hiring and training process, including written exams, physical agility testing, extensive background checks and a six-month law-enforcement academy followed by a four-month field-training program paired with experienced officers. He introduced the new deputies by name and asked the community to welcome them as they begin field training in Palm Desert.

Separately, representatives of the Family YMCA of the Desert presented an overview of the Y's operations in the Coachella Valley, including program offerings and partnerships with local schools. The YMCA said it opened in 1982 and is the largest licensed child-care provider in the valley. The presenter said Riverside County Office of Education funding covers about half of the Y's funding for certain programs for families who qualify under income limits, reported a $10.8 million annual budget, 12,000 program experiences annually and that 950 children were served across sites in Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta and Indio in the 2024-25 fiscal year. The YMCA described preschool and school-age programs, partnerships with the Palm Desert Library and school district and grant-supported swim lessons.