Since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York City and the Pentagon in Washington DC, Police Chief Dave Hinig said the Arcadia Police Department has evolved and is thinking beyond local crime enforcement. Officers are thinking more regionally and are more conscious of calling the bomb squad.
The Arcadia Police Department divisions are described. Specific mention is made of several detectives, including Lt. Edward Ostashay, Sergeant Andy Ballantyne, Agent Sharon Reynolds and Secretary Gail Post.
Ron Garner, 50, a deputy police chief in Beverly Hills with 24 years of police experience, has been named to head the Arcadia Police Department. He will lead a staff of 76 sworn officers and 26 civilian personnel.
New Arcadia police station is on the way. The demolition contract will be awarded August 7, then a groundbreaking ceremony scheduled for late September. An artist's rendition of the architectural drawing is shown.
Dave Hinig, Arcadia Police Chief, discusses changes in the department over the last thirty years, including new technology, new crimes, community composition and new hires.
The Arcadia Police Department has moved to a new police station building at 250 W. Huntington Drive, Arcadia, CA, 91007, that is 42,000 square feet and cost $16 million. The official opening ceremony will be October 3, 2003. The old building that was built around 1956 will be demolished in a few weeks. Dispatchers Rosemarie Espejo and Carol Hunter are shown in a photo.
The National Guard Armory building has been demolished and a portion of Arcadia Police Department, that recently housed the men's and women's locker rooms, has been demolished to make way for construction of a new $16 million police facility. A ceremonial groundbreaking will take place in the area behind the current police facility at 250 W. Huntington Drive, on September 28.
The Arcadia Chinese Association announced Tuesday that it has withdrawn support for a one-week trip to Taiwan by Arcadia's police chief, saying it had turned into a divisive political and racial issue.
The new Arcadia Police station, the largest public project ever undertaken by the City of Arcadia, officially opened last Friday, October 3, when city government and law enforcement held a ribbon cutting ceremony on its front lawn. The police station was built using funds from an $8 million bond measure that was passed with a majority of public support in 1999. The 41,000 square feet headquarters has an additional 12,000 s.f. for a firing range and training room, maintenance and communication shops, a vehicle impound area and a SWAT facility. Dave Hinig is the Chief of Police. The previous police station was built in 1956.
Several members of the Arcadia Chinese Association, in addition to Chinese groups from other cities called a press conference together to discuss the recent proposed trip to Taiwan for Police Chief Ronnie Garner.
Arcadia Police Chief David Hinig bestowed the Police Department's Medal of Merit on Detective Stan Flores and Life Saving medals on patrol officers John Jurman and Jennifer Casillas.
Ya-May Christle of Arcadia sued the city of Los Angeles and former Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michael Berkow in May, 2006, claiming she was demoted three levels for objecting to Berkow's alleged sexual misconduct with other LAPD officers. No settlement has been reached.