Lathrop’s new police chief speaks about plans for the department

POLITICIANS AND JOURNALISTS, THE CITY OF LATHROP OFFICIALLY HAS A NEW CHIEF OF POLICE CHIEF STEFAN SEALY HAD ALREADY BEEN SERVING AS INTERIM CHIEF BEFORE HE IS OFFICIALLY APPOINTED LAST WEEK, AND THIS MORNING HE JOINS US TO DISCUSS HIS PLANS AS THE HEAD OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OUT THERE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. YEAH. SO WE KIND OF TOUCHED ON IT. YOU HAD THE INTERIM TAG REMOVED. SO HOW HAS THE TRANSITION BEEN SO FAR? WELL, UM, I’VE BEEN WITH THE AGENCY SINCE THE INCEPTION. SO BEING A PART OF BUILDING AND DEVELOPING AND MENTORING AND COACHING THE OFFICERS IN THE AGENCY. SO THE TRANSITION HAS BEEN A PRETTY SEAMLESS ONE. YEAH. WELL THAT’S GOOD TO HEAR. AND SINCE YOU’RE YOU’VE BEEN WITH THAT DEPARTMENT FOR QUITE SOME TIME, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE PRIORITIES THAT YOU HOPE TO CONTINUE ON MAYBE EVEN SOMETHING THAT YOU’RE FOCUSING ON DOWN THE LINE. SO BUILDING TRUST AND TRUST WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, RIGHT. THE DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING OF OUR OFFICERS TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN PROVIDE A HIGH LEVEL OF POLICE SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY AND COMMUNITY COLLABORATION. AND JUST YESTERDAY, WE HAD OUR FIRST COURT VOLLEYBALL WITH THE COPS AND COMMUNITY CENTER. WE HOSTED AND HAD A LOT OF KIDS AND THEIR PARENTS COME BY. WE PLAYED FOR ABOUT 6 P.M. TO 8 P.M., SO JUST KIND OF FOCUSING MORE ON BUILDING SOME MORE OF THOSE RELATIONSHIPS WHILE ALSO, UM, PROVIDING A DIFFERENT LEVEL OF SERVICE TO, TO THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, FOCUSING ON THE ON CRIME AND INNOVATION AND POLICING. IS THERE ANY PARTICULAR TYPES OF CRIME RIGHT NOW THAT IS REALLY ON YOUR RADAR AS OF THIS MOMENT? SO RIGHT NOW I’VE TAKEN A ZERO TOLERANCE STANCE TO ORGANIZED RETAIL THEFT. WE’VE SEEN MOST LIKE MOST MOST AGENCIES AND CITIES IN SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY, WE’VE SEEN A LOT OF ORGANIZED RETAIL THEFT IN THE COMMUNITY. SO WE’VE BUILT RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE BUSINESSES AND THE MEMBERS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY SO THAT WHEN YOU SEE THESE CRIMES OCCUR AND THEY’RE CALLING US RIGHT AWAY, WE’RE ALSO PARTNERING WITH OUR PARTNER AGENCIES FOR TO COLLABORATE ON HOW WE ATTACK SUCH CRIMES. YEAH. AND I WOULD IMAGINE IN A PLACE LIKE LATHROP, IT’S PROBABLY ONE OF THOSE TWO DEGREES OF SEPARATION. SO HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO GET THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED WHEN YOU HAVE WHEN YOU’RE TAKING PART IN CRIMES LIKE THAT AND ADDRESSING THOSE TYPES OF NEEDS, IT’S VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED. YOU KNOW, IT’S BETTER TO HAVE THOUSANDS OF EYES AND EARS OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, FOR A SMALL CITY AND SMALL AGENCY, YOU KNOW, IT’S BETTER TO HAVE THAT COLLABORATION AND HAVE THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED IN THE PROCESSES AND AND ASSISTING US IN HOW WE HOW WE, UM, HOW WE PROVIDE THAT SERVICE TO THEM ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND, AND CATCHING THESE CRIMINALS. RIGHT. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WITH THE DEPARTMENT OUT THERE? WE LAUNCHED JUNE 29TH, 2022. OKAY. YEAH. SO AGAIN, PRETTY MUCH FROM THE INCEPTION. SO FOLKS ARE FAMILIAR WITH SEEING YOU AROUND. BUT WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE THEM TO KNOW? WHAT TYPE OF OFFICER, WHAT TYPE OF LEADERSHIP ARE YOU BRINGING TO THE DEPARTMENT. SO WHAT I LIKE PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT AS THEIR NEIGHBOR, I’M COMMITTED TO THE COMMUNITY. I’M COMMITTED TO FIGHTING CRIME AND COMMITTED TO TO MAKING LATHROP A REMAIN A SAFE AND ENJOYABLE PLACE TO LIVE, VISIT AND PLAY. IT’S DIFFERENT WHEN IT’S IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD, ISN’T IT? IT’S VERY DIFFERENT. IT’S A DIFFERENT. YOU’RE MORE INVESTED, YOU KNOW, WHEN WHEN YOU’RE OUT AND ABOUT DRIVING AROUND, YOU’RE SEEING ISSUES AND THINGS THAT POP UP AND YOU’RE YOU’RE ON IT. YOU WANT TO FIX IT. YOU WANT IT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WHEN YOUR NEIGHBORS AND YOUR FAMILY ARE OUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE RETAIL STORES OR, OR EATING AT A RESTAURANT THAT IT’S A PLACE IT’S A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR THEM TO TO LIVE, LIVE, WORK AND PLAY. AND ABSOLUTELY, ESPECIALLY IF THEY’RE GOING TO SEE YOU OUT HAVING DINNER OR AT THE GROCERY STORE. YES, YOU DO WANT FOLKS TO COME BY AND SAY HI. OF COURSE. THAT’S GREAT. ALL RIGHT. CHIEF SEALY, THANK YOU SO MUC

Lathrop’s new police chief speaks about plans for the department

Updated: 9:06 AM PST Feb 26, 2024

The city of Lathrop officially has a new police chief.Chief Stephen Sealy was already filling in as interim chief before his appointment last week.As the new head of law enforcement in the city, he spoke with KCRA 3 about his plans for the future.Watch in the video player above. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

The city of Lathrop officially has a new police chief.

Chief Stephen Sealy was already filling in as interim chief before his appointment last week.

As the new head of law enforcement in the city, he spoke with KCRA 3 about his plans for the future.

Watch in the video player above.

See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app.